by PN Hendricks
Growing up in Hanover Park and living there for over 40 years has taught me many things. I have come to know myself, neighbours, friends, and who is poor and those who have more than others to give.
This so-called “coloured” community prepares you for many challenges in life.
You don’t trust easily, even those close to you. You don’t just agree with whatever happens. You share the little you have with whoever knocks on your door. You eat and fast with your Muslim friends or neighbours.
When you do sports, the dream is to be the best... if it’s soccer, rugby or tennis. The challenges remain but challenge and encourage you to excel at it. The attitude of endurance in times of hardship shines brightly through the marijuana smoke-filled corners. Because it is on those corners where dreams are forgotten and vanish like the dagga smoke into the skies.
Many a child can use circumstances as encouragement, but with no support structure, you are lost. Schools, mosques or churches are supposed to play their part to support dreams, but they are empty.
The youth are wandering around with no purpose in life, day in and out. Many have matric with no real job prospects. Year after year, the youth unemployment stats are growing.
It took some of us more than 20 years of our lives to know what you want in life. Some at a late stage in their life went back to study, and their dreams became true. Through mills you are ground very hard and come out refined, ready for the outside world, to blossom.
The question is why it took so long to be reckoned with and be counted among the hard knocks of those who eventually made it.
The life, the choices and the challenges are real.
* PN Hendricks, Hanover Park.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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