A house is built one brick at a time, and we are going to build society one boy at a time. It is possible in South Africa.
Dr Myles Munroe once said: “The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, best-selling books that were never written and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.”
The quote reminds me of a young man from the community of Pankop, Kamogelo Legodi, 19, who passed away and left this world of the living on September 27. He robbed the cemetery of his treasure.
Legodi, who was diagnosed with the rare, but fatal, genetic disorder of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2006, lived every day like it was his last. A few years later, he was also diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. This did not stop him from writing. Even though from that fateful day he knew that his life was threatened, that did not deter the brave young man from living a life he was meant for.
I heard there was a young man who had written four books at the age of 19. My mind boggled. By 19? Four books? Wow, that is quite an achievement, and he was wheelchair-bound.
I met this young author in July, and when I got to his humble home that beautiful winter afternoon, I was greeted by his mom, Sarah’s welcoming smile. Legodi and I spoke about his aspirations, his career and how he wanted to change and challenge the people of our community. He had fire in his eyes. He may have been in a wheelchair, but he always wanted to be treated equally. When I spoke to his mom, she told me they had been trying to get his books published.
“It has been hard to get people to help Kamogelo publish his books. People come here, give us hope and never come back. He does not want me to read them, but from what I hear from his friends, he is brilliant. He told me one of them is about his fatal genetic disorder.”
Indeed, Legodi did not let anyone touch his laptop; a few privileged people had a chance to read what the brilliant writer had written. I am one of those few. I can attest to it. Legodi’s stories need to get out there and be read by people. I asked for three chapters of one book so that I could understand what the story were all about. He agreed.
I did not want to take the whole book so that he could gain my trust and feel confident that I would help him get his books published.
Sadly, as life was happening to me, Legodi was fighting for his life every day. I got a call from his mother two weeks before he died.
She said: “Hello Kabelo, Kamo says the pain is unbearable, and he just wants to give in or give up.”
I was shocked because the Kamogelo I had met was strong enough to conquer anything he faced. But his health had deteriorated, his fighting spirit was slowly fading and he was almost at the finish line.
If you are a publisher or you know any publisher who would be interested in honouring this brave young man’s work, please help. I know many young people from my community who would love to read his work. I know that his story is a story of hope, courage, determination and self-belief. It is a global treasure. Many of us feel sorry for ourselves when we are disabled. We lose hope and start dreaming less and stop living a full life.
Legodi was different. Even when his hands could not function properly, he pushed on. Last year, while he was busy with his matric exams, his hands failed him 45 minutes into the exam, but the support structure from his school, Mabothe Secondary, helped him through.
They got one of his teachers to write down the answers as he dictated them. Legodi knew that not writing his final exams was not an option. He passed with distinction. Legodi was a genius.
He wanted to be a computer scientist. He wanted to have a school for disabled people like him with good facilities to ensure they got the best education under great conditions. I know someone somewhere will make his dreams come true. I also believe that it is possible to ensure that his family holds a printed and published copy of one of his books.
The memoir contains more than 55 000 words. That is more than enough to make a book.
Minister Munroe also said: “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.”
Legodi had a purpose, and his death was not a tragedy but a revelation that we need to realise our purpose in life early.
I think the world needs to know about this hero and read all that he had to go through. It is an encouraging story, a true story that shows that against all odds, we all have to play our part in life, whether it is for nine years, 19 years or 90 years.
* Chabalala is the founder of the Young Men Movement, and can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected]
The Mercury