My name is Ephraim Ntlamo. I am 17 years old. I am a Zimbabwean national staying in Cape Town.
I came to South Africa on my own last year 2008 as a political refugee. I did not know anybody here. This situation led me to stay on the streets of Cape Town for months. I was very discouraged by my situation, but never lost the hope that one day I will be in school again. In fact, being far away from home, missing my family, together with being homeless at the same time can be very stressful and the temptation of using substances to stay calm can be very high. I resisted all this and kept on believing in my self that one day I shall overcome all of this and be able to be back at school, where I will be able to reconstruct my life towards achieving my childhood dream of becoming a Human Rights Lawyer. Thanks to the Mamelani Projects, today I have a place to call home and I am attending school. Those are big steps towards achieving my goals in life."
- Ephraim Ntlamo, aged 17, currently schooling at ICON college.
