​21-year-old Nthabeleng Tapeane, a former resident at Emmasdal Child and Youth Care Center (CYCC), is among pupils who passed their matric last year and obtained a pass in the senior certificate.
She said that even though her marks were not what she was hoping for, she was still excited that she managed to achieve a qualification that she would use to further her studies and make her life better.

Teapane said that would not have been possible without help from Care Workers who are responsible for giving care to children placed at the CYCC as they try to improve their quality of life. 

She said Care Workers did everything possible to help her manage her behaviour and schooling. 

“They gave me the necessary attention and guided me with my career choice as I wanted to further my studies after matric”, she said.

Teapane  added that Care Workers wanted her to become a better person who would set a good example to other children who were like her at some point.

As a result of the care and love she received from Care Workers, she wanted to pursue a career in Psychology at the University of Johannesburg, “As I also want to assist others”.

“I believe in taking care of emotions and that everybody at some point must go for counseling. However, I could not meet the admission requirements for the course. But all is not lost.”

Teapane, is now registered with the University of South Africa to study for Community Development, which was her second choice.

Teapane was the only child doing matric at Emmasdal CYCC last year, which made her journey to final exams a bit lonely. She said there were days where she felt like she was not going to pass, anxiety and suicidal thoughts kept visiting her, but with the support she received from Care Workers, she managed to regain confidence and strength to do enough to pass.

She said Care Workers played a major role in her success by giving her full support while she was in the CYCC.

“I want to thank my allocated mothers, Auxiliary, and Social Workers provided by the Gauteng Department of Social and Emmasdal CYCC. They were my parents in the absence of my biological parents. They were always there for me when I needed assistance with my schoolwork”, Teapane said.

She has since been reunited with her family in Evaton. She said the centre has changed her life for the better, since she was placed there due to behavioral challenges.

“The facility motivated me to do better in life, it built me, they helped me to improve my behavior and to focus on my schoolwork. Even at home, they are now proud of me, and all this was not going to be possible without the help of the dedicated Care Workers.