A Grandmother's Legacy: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
Bomikazi's story shows just how far one grandmother's lessons can carry a family, and then a whole community.
“My name is Bomikazi Madikizela. I am 28 years old and grew up in Bizana, in rural Transkei, South Africa. My grandmother changed my life story. My mother was still studying when she had me, so my grandmother stepped in. She taught us to use our hands and our minds, and to work the land we had. I started farming at six years old. Everything we had at home came from the garden, mealies, beans, vegetables, amadumbe. Sometimes we sold our crops to buy other food or farming equipment.
My mom was the only graduate among five siblings, and she inspired me to study hard so I could earn a bursary. A scholarship from the Industrial Development Corporation let me complete a National Diploma in Analytical Chemistry in 2013, then a B Tech in Chemistry from Nelson Mandela University in 2015. That same year, Aspen Pharmacare in Port Elizabeth hired me as a Junior Laboratory Analyst. By 2018 I'd been promoted to Senior Laboratory Analyst.
I discovered WORK 4 A LIVING in 2016. I'd bought a two-bedroom flat, partly so I could host students from home when they came to PE to study or work. A friend staying with me took a W4AL course while job-hunting, and came home every day so motivated that I got curious. I started sharing the idea back home in Bizana, and arranged night shifts for two weeks so I could attend the course myself and help my friends who struggled with English.
W4AL opened my mind to see that we already have what we need to improve our lives, that being poor isn't an excuse to stay stuck. A lot of young people here grow up expecting the government, the education system, or their parents to fix things for them. Once I stopped believing that anyone owed me anything, my mind opened up, and I could work toward success for myself and my community.
I'm currently working full time, mentoring for W4AL, and studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Physical Sciences and Mathematics. My plan is to open a W4AL training centre back in Bizana, and to teach computer skills and farming there too. A lot of our people think that because they're poor, they're not cut out for other things, that maths and science are too hard, so they don't even try. My dream is to show young people that our success is in our own hands and minds, just like my grandmother taught me.”
Since then, Bomikazi and her community have built an impressive track record:
Bomikazi's car (Uber/Bolt): bought at auction, now earns income by running as an Uber and Bolt vehicle.
Pre-school in Bizana: opened by one of the women who trained alongside Bomikazi, has grown to 30 children and a second teacher.
Macadamia farm: 20 trees planted so far, with plans to expand to 200.
WIRED 4 Business savings fund: a 17-person group Bomikazi's course mates formed, where each week one member gets a payout to start or grow a business.
Catering business: started using a payout from the savings fund.
Piggery: started using a payout from the savings fund.
Shared vegetable-farming venture: started using a payout from the savings fund.
Upcoming, W4AL training centre in Bizana: Bomikazi's own plan to open a centre back home teaching computer skills and farming alongside the core courses.
If this is what one grandmother's teaching can do, imagine what's possible when whole communities take hold of the same mindset.
