Help Gloria build a home and her life

Finding a job in South Africa has proved to be very difficult, a general position has +-500 candidates eyeing it. Some companies/agencies require you to write an assessment if you pass, you a given a contract to sign and a “we will send you an SMS on when to start”; all you are left with is pure happiness and hope, which eventually turn into doubt and disappointment. I tried Trading, Betway, and Lotto in hopes of winning I am not discerning the winning numbers. I have bothered a lot of people so that I won’t end up on the streets, and trust me I am not proud of it.

My name is Gloria Ntsento, I am a former medical student and oldest of 4 sisters. I am assuming many have questions on how I ended up where I am, taking a 360 turn from a promising future. Well, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, so I went along with whatever my mom advised me to do since it was her dream, however she could not fulfill her dreams due to losing her parents at a young age, which meant she had to drop out of school and hustle. I automatically inherited her “dream”; I wanted to please my mom, so I went on and applied for the Cuban-South African medical scholarship which I was accepted, after 6 months of 1st year I called her and told her I wanted to come back home but she convinced me to continue. 5 months later, I got a call saying she succumbed to HIV, apparently she defaulted. I could have quit right after her death but I wanted to hold on to something that connected us, and pursuing her dream seemed like the best thing to do.

My mother never owned a house, we have always rented, so when she passed on we were left homeless, no family wanted to take us in. Fortunate enough my stepdad’s nephew agreed to take my 2 youngest sisters whilst I was in Cuba, 3 years later he too passed on. I fell into severe depression, I couldn't study and I started to resent studying medicine and the idea of becoming a doctor. I thought if I continued I was not only going to lose my mind but also the last people I had- my sisters. I quit medicine the day I landed in South Africa for my guardian's funeral, which I missed, which was June 2018. My guardian’s brother agreed to look after our youngest sister and the rest of us had to find a place to stay..

My friend convinced me to try my luck in Cape Town, I stayed with her aunt for 6 months until I found a place, during that time I got an opportunity to partake in a 12 months' learnership and the stipend was R2000. The first 3 months of independence were horrible, the rent was R1100, and I bought a bed worth R650, I was left with less than R250. I didn’t have to worry about transport because the facilitator fetched me and I in turn helped him with administrative tasks. The contract ended in February 2020 a month shy of national lockdown, yet I couldn't secure a job, so the facilitator helped me start a side hustle and offered to pay rent until September 2020. The business was doing OK, the only thing that eventually caused a downfall for my business was transport and rent. My friends helped a lot financially, which help keep my business going until it finally failed in July 2021; I chose to pay 3 months’ rent( July-September) upfront than buy stock for my business due to tight competition in my area.

I have applied for job opportunities, wrote several assessments, and aced them but no luck in getting a job. I lost several job opportunities because I didn't have a license, I had learners which eventually expired. The worst part is you have to travel to these places with money you don't have, make copies, and print documents just to remain unemployed, it’s depressing. Fortunately, I have been accepted at CPUT for the year 2022 but sadly I am on the verge of being homeless, I have tried my all but to no avail. My sisters and I are all currently unemployed and in need of permanent residence; the youngest one would appreciate being at home with her family. We haven’t seen each other face to face since 2018. I believe my mom wanted a home for her kids but money seemed to be the problem.

It has always been grained in me to get ourselves a house but without a job or any form of financial support how is that possible? That is why I decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to build a home, a place where we can go without fear of being evicted. A place that we can run to whenever things are not going well. A place where we find peace and comfort. Since none of us are working, I would also love to buy a kitchen trailer start a family business that will take care of us, and eventually extend into new ventures and not forgetting getting a license, which would be a game-changer. Please help me raise R 175 000.

This campaign is dedicated to my late mother- Edith Noluthando

Breakdown on how the R175 000 would be used

• +-R75 000 on material and labour
• +-R35 000 in furniture
• +-R30 000 kitchen trailer(fully equipped)
• +-R8000 (pay up 5 months’ rent in advance and electricity)
• +-R2000 driving classes
• I vouch to donate R 20 000 to a family that has "adopted" me into their family, they barely get by, nevertheless, they were the ones to help in times of need.

For those who wish to directly send funds to my account my banking details are as follows:

Bank: FNB

Account holder: Gloria Ntsento

Account No: 62768080261

Account type: Easy account

Branch code:250655

Your support would truly bless us with a home, and get us out of this depressing situation we find ourselves in.

I will forever be grateful.