Brighter dreams
By CHEALSEA MOSES (Grade 9, Nombulelo Secondary School)
Hello guys! My name is Chealsea Moses. I am a 15-year-old girl from Zimbabwe. In the hope of a brighter future, my family and I moved to South Africa in 2008 and I have been in Grahamstown at Nombulelo since 2016. As a young girl, I often find myself wondering, “What would it be like to be an adult?”. To have cash, a good job and a family to take care of. I imagine I would be very well respected and especially professional in my chosen career. In my home, happiness and forgiveness would be most important. My husband will cherish me and our children. My little family would have the brightest smiles and like shining stars, they would light up our lives during difficult times.
In this world, poverty is not part of my future. My family would never lack food or love. Importantly, we are living in a country that I can call my own. As a young girl, I never dreamt that the world would be so cruel. I never dreamt of living in a community where I would be called insulting nicknames.
A community where I am referred to as “kwarakwara”, a foreigner. A community that judges me without even knowing my life.
of a brighter days seem farfetched, sometimes.
of children playing without fear of being attacked, even killed.
Dreams Dreams
of children who are indeed safe with their caregivers and relatives.
Dreams
of children in school, developing through the energy of their teachers.
Dreams
of children who make you proud – a world where drugs and alcohol are not so easily available. Instead, many youths drink and smoke more than some adults. They seem to think they know better than the adults.
Dreams
where children respect parents and teachers.
Dreams
where our guardians lead with selfless wisdom and fairness. I dream of brighter days where justice is served.
Dreams
Instead, I see governments and constitutions that seem to protect the criminals more than the victims of crime. We are not even safe in our own homes.
I dream of brighter days where women and children are not abused in broad daylight and in full view of people. No one takes a stand. Children disappear and end up missing, even dead. So I often ask, “What is this world coming to?". With adults having the money, education and big jobs, I have to ask, why is the world so terrible? What are adults doing exactly? It seems that no one really cares for anyone: people only pretend to care about each other. Is this what being an adult has come to?
I dream of brighter days, where everything would be normal, because this present state of the world is absolutely NOT normal.