Nomsa Andile is a lady who beleives in not giving up no matter how tough a situation.
Born 35 years ago in East Lodon in the Eastern Cape,Nomsa moved to Johannesburg(Egoli) the 'City of Gold', to search for better opportunities in her life.Johannesburg was a great place for her to explore and find her inner self. When you get to meet her for the first time,you get to feel like you have known her all yout life.
Iam welcomed to her home by the sound of children playing and I feel right at home even before I set my eyes on the family.
Nomsa met her husband Moses Andile,a man also from the Eastern Cape and it was lady luck on her side,so she thought. Little did she know that what seemed to be gold in her eyes would turn out not to be so shinny.
Moses Andile also rose to the occassion and has worked so hard in changing his life and crawling out of a poverty stricken life.Many people in their village look up to them as an example and an inspiration to the young.Moses a psycologist, is a lecturer at the University of Johannesburg and he also counsels students at the University.
I got an honourable chance of meeting Nomsa Andile when to picking my daughter after school hours at creche.It was an easy introduction on our part and we clicked so fast, I do not know why but I beleive there was a super power that made us click.I was so new in South Africa and she was my first friend who took me around to know places.
Marriage life to her has not been an easy ride but she has learnt to endure it and take it as it comes.All along Nomsa knew that her husband was a recovering alcoholic who did not want to use help thathe was being offered.
The couple have 3 lovely daughters and 1 son,who Nomsa is looking after single handedly because Andile is not helping her much as he should.Nomsa has learnt to take it all in her stride and not complain much even with the global crisis.
She tells me that her husband is on a one month suspension from work after getting so many warnings which he did not take seriously.''Can you imagine my husband is not worried whether the children eat or go hungry.I do not know what to do but Am asking God for strenghth to go on.''
We were having a sisterly chat and before I knew it Nomsa broke into sobs and I could not find enough words to comfort her.I felt sorry for her.She went as far as to tell me that she had a miscarriage all because of the stress.
Nomsa said that at her house she felt the global financial crunch like no one else felt it.Her children are going to school due to a loan that she got from her bank.They have had to go with oine meal per day because she cannot afford to feed the cildren lunch and supper.
''Am not going to let this deter me from what Am doing,I know God has greater plans for us and He is going to see us through.Andile has been at the Alcoholics Rehabilitation center here in Johannesburg and he does not seem to be improving.I do not know what is to happen to us if he is to give up the will of getting better.''
Her teaching job has seen the family through rough patches that would have seen one not strong enough take to the hills!A soul bread winner for the family she has so much that is to deter her but she does not want to draw the curtain yet.
There is this one time that Andile did not come home for one week and no one knew where he was.Later for Nomsa to learn that he had lost it and had been taken to a rehabilitation center in the Eastern Cape.
He had left the house without saying where he was going to.
Nomsa has vowed to herself not to give up,now that times are hard for many people,many who are loosing their jobs and others their homes!
Wow, what a story!
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