As part of our Life Skills Programme, Natasha attended music lessons and was given a guitar. Shortly afterwards, she became a Youth Leader and showed exceptional dedication to her education.
However, her home life was dysfunctional, and her family lived under great stress due to her father being a drug dealer and abusive towards her mother and the children. He sold Natasha’s guitar and bicycle for drugs. When Natasha was 15, her mother took the children and moved to another town 200 kilometres from George to escape this life. Natasha’s mother is a good woman and mother, but things continued to deteriorate for the family. Unemployment in this small town was high and conditions in the rural High School were appalling. This led to Natasha failing her Grade 11 exams. She realised that she would have to make her way back to George, and her mentors at LIFE Community Services, if she had any hope of following her dream to complete school and further her studies. In her heart, she knew that God had a bigger plan for her life and that He would carry her through this difficult time. After finding a job cleaning at a local Guest House, she saved enough money to pay for a taxi to bring her back to George and to LIFE Community Services. It was here that she knew she would find love, care and support.
In January 2016, God turned her circumstances around because she had been faithful and obedient throughout her teenage years. We were unable to place her back in school locally, so Natasha started an internship as a Classroom Assistant at our Happy Feet Learning Centre. All throughout the year she knew she had to return to a formal academic High School in order to progress on to University. During this time, Natasha stayed with various staff members and was a ray of sunshine, bringing light in every circumstance and touching many lives with her story.
As we prayed for an opening at a High School, God led us to apply for a place at Glenwood House - a local private Independent School offering world-class education. Natasha was accepted. We were overwhelmed as we witnessed God’s faithfulness and simply asked that He would find a sponsor for her school fees. In a miraculous way, all fees, uniform expenses and stationery costs were covered by generous donors.
Natasha is now in the Boarding School during the week and is living with Maryna and Philip. Her journey to this point has been one filled with hope and courage, and it is a great testimony as to what can come from placing your life firmly in the hands of the Father.
To help us reach more children like Natasha, sign-up to sponsor a child in our care.