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My husband died 30 years ago, leaving me with a six month old child. She is now grown up, having a place of her own. Before attending Gender Links programme, I always thought maybe if my husband were alive, I would have a different life.
Instead gender links training showed me that I am strong and powerful. My strength and power have been proven by the fact that in December 2011, my son passed matric well and managed to go to circumcision school without the support of a man. He is now in tertiary with only my support and my family’s support. His father has not contributed to raising him.
I have paid for all the expenses from matric to now tertiary with a father present. I have consulted him before taking him to circumcision school, hoping that because it was a men’s issue he will be interested and take the responsibility of taking his son to that school. He always postponed saying it was not time yet so I took over and I took my son to the school myself.
He attended the ceremony when they returned, but did not even contribute a cent towards it. Gender links empowered me with communication skills that helped me to get my son to initiation school. I managed the ceremony with participation from my family.
Seeing my family gives me a sense of security with my accomplishments. My children are studying hard to make sure they do not disappoint me. I have made a woman out of a child whose father left at six months and a man out of a boy whose father has not contributed anything but five hundred rand a month for maintenance money.
📝Read the emotional article by @nokwe_mnomiya, with a personal plea: 🇿🇦Breaking the cycle of violence!https://t.co/6kPcu2Whwm pic.twitter.com/d60tsBqJwx
— Gender Links (@GenderLinks) December 17, 2024
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