Dumped as an infant and as teenager he abused illegal substances, but Sello Goodman Mnguni from Ratanda never gave up on life.
33 year-old Mnguni was raised by his grandmother after his biological mother dumped him when he was an infant, and until today he has no answer for why that happened. He says his upbringing was not easy as the old lady was poor and struggled to make ends meet.
Mnguni said they struggled together with his grandmother until he decided to drop out of school in grade ten. He was subsequently arrested for petty crimes and ended up with a criminal record which he thought it was the end of the world. But he could not let this stop him from being a good parent to his daughter.
" I did not want my child to grow up like me, as a result started to see life differently. A Social Worker from the Gauteng Department of Social Development was an angel, who made me believe that anything is possible, that it was not the end of the world. She said to me, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it was true because I was in the dark and confused" said Mnguni.
Mnguni was referred to Freedom Recovery Rehab Centre where he spent six months on detoxification and skills training, and after completion he was placed at a bakery as an intern and received a stipend.
"It is not much but I'm able to maintain my daughter and it is better than nothing. It is better than where I was in life. It was never an easy journey, I will like to thank the support I got from counselors like Joana and Zanele, with their help I now know that anything is possible" he added.
Mnguni says this is the beginning of a new chapter, there is no turning back and hopefully one day he will start his own business and create jobs for people who are coming from disadvantaged families.
He says he used to smoke nyaope for almost ten years and he did not care about what happens as his mother was never around.
"I would like to encourage service users not to lose hope because taking drugs is not the end of the world. Going to rehab, you don't need to be forced; it's something which must come from your heart. Every day I look forward to going to work, so that I can feed my daughter, am passionate and I see myself being a successful businessman one day. I believe that anything is possible, and I wish everyone who goes to rehab could come back with the same attitude ".​