Cape Town - This young man is walking with his head held high, his past behind him and a bright future ahead of him, as against all odds, he graduated with a teaching degree on Thursday.
Bregarson Alkana, 24, was once a homeless boy but thanks to the good hearts of the Lotus River family who took him in, he was given a second chance at life and he grabbed it with both hands.
Bregarson graduated with a B.Ed degree in Further Education and Training (FET) from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
But his future didn’t always look so bright.
“I had a tough upbringing. I used to live on the streets with my biological family. We used to sleep in front of shops, mostly in Town Centre, Mitchells Plain,” he recalls.
“Life on the streets is not something anyone wants. There was no option but I always wanted a better life.”
The young man was taken in by a loving family seven years ago.
“I always came to my school friend’s home to sleep over. In October that year, my mother took her own life and I decided to stay on with my friend, I did not want to go back to the streets.”
BRIGHT FUTURE: Bregarson got a B.Ed dregree from CPUT
The family also buried his mom.
“I am very thankful to the Booysen family, and I still didn’t ask whether I could live here,” he jokes.
And the inspirational young man already has a job lined up - he will be teaching Accounting and Math Literacy at Wittebome High School next year.
Bregarson’s adopted family could not be prouder and went all out, decorating their home and inviting everyone they know to a bash to celebrate his achievement.
Mom Carol says Bregarson has been a blessing to them.
“He wanted to give up his studies and go work to contribute to the house but my husband kept encouraging him to finish his studies. We are so proud of him, he passed with three distinctions.”
Bregarson says he hopes his story will inspire others to follow their dreams.
“Your circumstances do not determine your future. I have a saying: I am not a product of my circumstances, but a product of my choices,” he says.
Daily Voice