A day in the life and home of a child in an informal settlement

A day in the life and home of a child in an informal settlement

My name is Ndalo Semba I am a boy and I am 14 years old. When I wake up in the morning I get dressed make breakfast for my mom and siblings and myself. Then when they are awake I eat quickly and take out my siblings clothes because they are so young and my mom is very sick then I brush my teeth. When I am done I walk to school with my siblings because we can’t afford a car. When we get to school I take them to their class and go back to mine.There aren’t enough text books and there is sixty people in my class.

I don’t have any lunch so my school offers me food there was a storm yesterday so our house is leaking I usually just put a bucket but this one was bad.When I am done at school I go fetch my siblings and take them home when I have taken them home I go to the shop to get groceries.We live in Khayelitsha when I go to the shop I only have R15 so I buy soup and a chocolate bar for my mom and that’s all I can afford for the day.

My friends usually ask me to play soccer with them but I usually can’t play with them. I cannot get medication because it's too expensive. My older brother works for me and my mom and siblings but he doesn’t earn that much and were running out of money to pay for school I’ve dropped out of school just so my younger siblings can go to school. When I’m back at my house I make dinner tuck my siblings into bed and I eat then brush my teeth and go to bed until the next day.

I’m trying to get money to pay for my mom’s medication and for my siblings to go to school it’s really hard when you didn’t go to university but I want my family to be happy and my siblings to get a good education and my mom to get better and when that happens I’ll be happy. I wish I could do this for my family and get a proper house and roof and healthier food and that maybe one day I can get a better education. I also wish that when my siblings are finished in school that they can get a job and a family. The environment isn’t doing so well there aren’t any proper toilets and all the houses are either made out of plastic or iron or tin. I really wish it was safer because everyday I worry that something or someone is going to hurt my siblings I just really hope that doesn’t happen.


Comments

  1. Anonymous27 May 2019 at 10:44

    Thank you for your effort Josh. You have tried your best to imagine what it will be like to live in an informal settlement.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swift Playground Four Stash Sweep

Swift Playground Four Stash Sweep I am learning to code on Learn to code 1 on Swift Playground. This is my favorite level because I found it very cool and creative and challenging. It was fun to try out all the different outcomes and the different portals in the level. I like the portals because you don’t really know where you are gonna go when you go through. This level took me a really long time to finish it and it funny when I got a little frustrated. The name of the level is Four Stash Sweep.
Read more

Charles Diary

It was a normal day at school until the singing inspector came suddenly it felt like a thunderstorm as he thundered through the door his name is Mr Raymond. He was wearing big knickerbockers and he had a red face like he was about to erupt like a volcano he had these thick stockings like a hunter he had blue eyes like blueberries and golden curls on his head. He didn’t call any of the little ones in the room for singing and the older boys who just do exams. He said Benny and I had to come to the front and sing first but we were shivering so much walking to the front. He was holding a stick to the moderator he asked in an angry voice what can you sing I said in weak voice we can sing pretty Polly. Mr R then shouted and looked like the picture of the Bull of bashan. We began to sing. Most people would say it was terrible but it was my best and I think Benny was also trying his best because he looked terrified. I bet everyone wanted to laugh. We stopped in the middle of the verse bec...
Read more