Zanele Dludla from South Africa

In the past, I did not have a coat, shoes or school supplies 

“I have seven brothers and sisters. My mother sells vegetables on the street and my father occasionally works as a gardener in a school. We live in a Zulu hut, which is a round hut with four small chambers. Our hut is so small, you barely have any room. But we still have each other and that is what matters the most.

A Cunina child sponsorship opened up a new world for me. My mother went to the convent of Eshowe to ask for help. There she met Sister Innocentia She suggested to put me on the child sponsorship list of Cunina.

People on the other side of the world that cared for us… that was an amazing experience! They are not even our family and yet they decide to help us.

Thanks to them, I was able to go to a better school and I received a uniform. In the past, I did not have a coat, shoes or school supplies: I took my books with me in plastic bags. I often had to go to school with an empty stomach. That is all in the past since the Cunina child sponsorship. I graduated from secondary school and I will soon be studying Social Work in higher education. I am so grateful to my godparents. I want to help other children just like they did!

My dream is to help people in need, especially children. Here, a lot of people live in poverty. The thought of children being violated and abused, keeps me awake. Therefore I would like to be a social worker. This way I can help to protect children. I especially want to make a difference in someone’s life.

Zanele Dludla