Youth Day commemorates the Soweto Uprising in 1976, a reminder of the courageous scholars who fought for freedom and equality.
EduPower Skills Academy says we can honour their memory and inspire South Africans with moving accounts of today’s brave youngsters, and individuals who have triumphed over personal adversity to make a brighter future for themselves and others.
One such story is that of Smangele Chiyi.
Growing up in KwaZulu Natal, Smangele eagerly seized every opportunity life presented.
At school, she was actively involved in drama and sports, including athletics and netball.
She strived to be a great role model for others but more than anything, she wanted to make her family proud.
“My life suddenly changed forever in December 2017 when I visited my family in Johannesburg,” Smangele laments.
“I went to a shop and was caught up in a robbery by four armed men. I remember hearing gunshots and falling to the floor covered in blood.”
Smangele’s injuries were severe; she fought for her life in intensive care for two weeks.
She pulled through but was paralysed from the waist down and when she was finally discharged from the hospital, she faced the daunting task of rebuilding her life.
Starting Over
“In February 2018, I started rehabilitation at the Natalspruit Hospital in Gauteng, and although I was scared I told myself that I could get through this,” she says.
“The support I got from my fellow patients who also faced various life challenges was a big part of my recovery.”
With the guidance of social workers, psychologists, and physiotherapists, Smangele said she began to heal and eventually, she was able to go home.
But she says her return was met with mixed reactions and emotions.
“My family didn’t know how to respond to me. I had to assure them that even though I was in a wheelchair, I was not a different person, just differently abled,” Smangele explains.
Tragedy Strikes Again
Over time, her family came to understand and accept that she was the same person and still had opportunities.
However, tragedy struck again on the 3rd of August 2018 when Smangele’s five-year-old son was fatally run over by a car.
“My daughter witnessed my son being hit by a car, resulting in the loss of him and traumatising her as well. I felt so lost but I had to be strong for her which pulled me through,” she recalls with evident pain.
“She has made a full recovery though and is even doing well in school. It makes me so proud as a mother to see the strength of my child.”
A Role Model
Fuelled by her own experiences, Smangele has made it her mission to inspire other people with disabilities and those who are differently abled.
Leading by example yet again, Smangele is currently a learner at EduPower Skills Academy, where she is doing a 12-month Learnership Programme.
“I realised I needed knowledge and skills if I was ever going to get a job and I am getting this and more at EduPower,” Smangele explains.
“The learnership is exciting and the facilities are geared for People with Disabilities, so it has been a very easy adjustment and I am loving it.”
In addition to her professional growth, Smangele has excelled in sports and she is the only woman to qualify for the Pietermartizburg-based wheelchair basketball team, the Warriors.
Smangele’s outstanding skills have earned her a place on the National Senior Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team (the AmaWheelie Girls) that will be participating in the African Para Games in Ghana in September.
An exceptional achievement, it is further evidence of this remarkable young woman’s resilience.
Her commitment to self-improvement serves as a testament to her unwavering belief in a bright future.
Smangele, an inspiration to all who encounter her, proves that with passion, determination, and a courageous mindset, it is possible to conquer adversity, rise above it, and achieve against all odds when fueled by unwavering determination and self-belief.
