Bongani Sindane, 30, was subjected to child abuse, grew up in an orphanage, and at one point, as an adult, became homeless.
Despite this, he kept his focus and achieved his dreams. The young man has not only recently graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Unisa, but also holds qualifications in nursing and hospitality.
As a child, Sindane and his twin brother (Gift Sindane) grew up in a violent home in Mpumalanga, and were subjected to physical abuse. The Department of Social Development intervened when the pair were 8-years-old and moved them into an orphanage in Dennilton.
Sindane does not recall much from this period of his life because he was too young. However, he remembers when he was taken and moved to Belfast Kinderhuis with his brother. “The conditions were prison-like, because there was no space. In one room, there would be 20 kids in bunk beds. Our guardians there also did not show any affection, which made living in that environment very challenging. I also had no sense of belonging,” he said.
He described the orphanages as having robbed him of a sense of stability and permanence that a child needs in their formative years.
Once again, he was moved to the Middelburg Care Village, where he had a better experience. According to Sindane, there were rooms for each kid, and this helped with forming an individual identity and sense of self.
He said what he appreciated from these children’s homes is that they had study time, were fed, and learned how to be independent because there was no one else to fall back on.
The soon-to-be candidate lawyer then attended high school at Tshwenyane Secondary School and Steelcrest High School.
Sindane was taken in by Ridge Casino in Emalahleni after completing matric and was given the opportunity to train as a chef. He committed himself to this endeavour, and he eventually received his qualification.
After graduating, he was compelled to return to Middelburg, where he became homeless, due to a lack of employment. In a stroke of luck, he met a perfect stranger, Ma Vuyisile, who said to him, “From today onwards, you are my son”.
“She really believed in me. I felt like one of them. They never made me feel like an outsider. My life completely changed after that. This showed me that we need to open our hearts and minds to people,” he said.
Sindane studied at the Mpumalanga College of Nursing and went to Sweden to Jönköping as an exchange student, where he excelled academically.
Being in the Nordic country gave Sindane more confidence and gave him a new perspective in life.
Upon his return to South Africa, he worked for the Mpumalanga Department of Health and was able to build a home for his family.
In his thirst for education and knowledge, Sindane said he studied law out of interest.
“For us to be placed at an orphanage, the law was applied. So, I want to be a change-maker and fight for human rights. I want to advocate for those who are marginalised, especially in the medical fields. I am not changing careers, but merely merging them,” he said.
Pain has been a teacher to the high achiever. He said it pushed him to be the person that he is today. Through this force within him, he was able to build a home for his family and seek to enrich the lives of others.
