“I Want To Go Home” A 19-Year-Old Boy Explains His Life On The Street

Who would have thought that what was supposed to be a holiday would result in a year and 2 months on the streets? This young man’s life has changed after a heartbreaking experience that led to his living on the streets of Durban Central.

He came from Venda to see one of the top attraction spots of Durban, the beach, with his older brother. “My brother told me he wanted to take me out to Durban for a holiday, as a young boy, I was excited, so we left”. He further explains that on their arrival he saw what brought him to Durban, little did he know that his life would be altered when his brother got caught selling a drug referred to as “Crystal”.

“I did not know about this side of my brother’s life”, the arrest came to him as a shock, he was then left stranded in a city where he knew nobody and had nowhere to go. His brother was in prison for 2 months and after his release, the 19-year-old boy thought he would finally go home, only to find that his brother would sell their car. He gave up and finally decided to cut ties with his older brother and remain on the streets. This meant that he had to start to make a plan on how he was going to survive, “Life on the streets is not nice”, he further explained that you learn how to do things that you never knew you were capable of doing, for instance, his survival method is begging for money from people at robots to try to pay for the shelter and get something to eat. He chose to stay away from a life of crime because he does not what to end up like his brother.

The boy has just one wish, he wants to go back home to his family and finish school. His dream is to become a doctor or a police officer one day. The stories of the homeless nation are not always centered around running away from home like this 19-year-old, his life was changed when he least expected it.

The young man’s identity is hidden at his request; Anyone interested in helping him can contact the publication.