​Ndimphiwe Mbatyoti, is a beneficiary of Xilembeni Centre of Excellence.
He is grateful for the second chance after drugs nearly messed up his life. He says the organization gave him hope when he was hopeless and now, he can see the bright future ahead.
The 36-year-old started using drugs in 2010 after he lost his sister who raised him and whom he describes as one of his confidantes.
A Public Management graduate from the University Nelson Mandela said he was addicted to mandrax.
"I lost my mother in 2009, and subsequently my sister who raised me, it was traumatic. At that time I was doing my second year at varsity, and I could not cope", Mbatyoti said.
Mbatyoti said "Addiction took so much from me, it delayed my life, it stole so much of my time, addiction denied me an opportunity to be an equal contributing member of society, my peers are somewhere with their life, and I am still here trying to pick up the pieces".
He added that he was supposed to finish his BTech degree in Public Management with Nelson Mandela University in 2012, but, because he we distracted by alcohol and drugs at the time, he couldn't finish it. However, he went back in 2017 to complete his qualification.
He said his life changed after he was referred to Witpoort Treatment Centre in Brakpan where he spent a month and 2 weeks going through detoxification process, and later he went through life skills programs, and he was also given opportunity to empower himself with a community house building (CHB) skills training. He said the CHB program gave him opportunity to learn how to do tiling, bricklaying, ceiling, and carpentry.
"Am truly grateful for what both Witpoort and Xilembeni did for me, they gave me a trade, they gave me opportunity to quit drugs, they gave me a skills training that I will forever use to better my life", he added.
Mbatyoti further highlighted that it is Witpoort Treatment Centre that connected him to Xilembeni Centre of Excellence where he is currently working as an Office Assistant. He said Witpoort saved his life and Xilembeni preserved it and gave him his value system back.
His advice to young people is to stay away from drugs, as drugs knows no boundaries and for those who are already using drugs, he said they must seek help.
He said Xilembeni teaches them to be independent and he is looking forward for the challenge and to reclaim all the time lost to substance abuse and to also do better to his community.