Couple turns around lives
Former prostitute, gangster hope to inspire youth with their books
FORMER drug addict and prostitute Vera Qwesha, together with her former gangster husband, Sakhi Monona, have been given a second chance in life.
The Port Elizabeth couple have both written books – My Journey
from Grass to Grace (Vera) and From Why to Wow (Sakhi) – about their past lifestyles and aim to inspire the township youth through motivational talks.
Qwesha grew up in Port Elizabeth in a disadvantaged home and always hoped to change her family’s situation. Speaking to the Go! & Express while visiting East London, she spoke about how disappointed she was about living in a shack with her mother.
“I wanted to change the life I lived. I wanted to have the nice things that my friends had. Initially I got into prostitution to start saving money for start-up capital because I wanted to start my own business. Before I knew it, it became my lifestyle. I took the easy way out of poverty and that was drugs and prostitution,” she said.
Qwesha, a politics degree graduate, had made plans to leave the country to join an escort agency in the UK, but was invited to church by her aunt.
“December 25, 2014 was the day my life changed completely.
“The first time I visited Jesus Dominion International Church under Reverend Tim Omotoso, the man of God [Omotoso] came up to me and said I would write a book about my life and that is where my success lies,” Qwesha recalled.
“He had never met me before and to prophesy that about me just had to be my wake-up call. After the man of God had called me to Durban, I decided that it was time to stop this lifestyle and I managed to quit prostitution.”
Four years later, she quit drugs and dedicated her life to God and started serving at the Jesus Christ Dominion Church.
In 2015, she met Manona and this was when she started writing her book.
Manona was also granted a second chance in life and is now a born-again Christian serving at the Jesus Christ Dominion Church.
“Repenting has to be the best decision I have ever made. I am now a changed man all thanks to the Man of God and his guidance,” Manona said.
“I am now a motivation to the youth in the township because I managed to change the lifestyle I used to live.”
The couple have started an organisation known as the
Abonqobi (meaning conquerors) which encourages people – youth in particular – to live positive lives.
They visit schools, churches and hospitals on a daily basis preaching the word of God.