When I joined Infinite Family’s mentorship program, I was lost. I was in my early teenage years and starting my life at Tsogang Sechaba High School in Soweto. I was so excited to be there but had just lost my mother and was feeling hopeless.
I met Infinite Family at the lowest point of my life but it helped me to find myself: my strength, my abilities and direction at a time when I really needed it, because it was going to be easy to go into drugs or a life of crime from a young age.
My first mentor was Shannon Murray and we had a great relationship from March 2010 – July 2011. She introduced me to her family and we would always speak of how she loved Africa. She was in a wheelchair after being diagnosed with a terminal illness but had always wanted to come and visit. So she expressed the wish that upon her death her ashes would to be scattered on top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania so as to serve as a sense of closeness, especially for me since I am based in Africa.
Following Shannon’s passing I was paired with Michael Jarrell in August of 2011 for a short time. I felt like we had met before our time because, at some point, I felt like I needed a brother but he had applied to be a volunteer at Doctors Without Borders and, unfortunately, when his application was accepted he had to leave ASAP. However we still keep in touch on social media from time to time.
Then came Amy. Oh Mom!! She saved me. May of 2012 was the beginning of our relationship, which would even see her coming to South Africa to visit me. I was at a point of giving up everything and I remember that after our first VC, I came out with a big smile, after listening to my mentor (who was in her 40s at the time) speak so passionate about her family, life and career.
Essentially, Amy played a big role in building me to be the man I am today. We always had informative VCs. We spoke about life, family, school, career, all the differences between the US and SA, and I always came out so fulfilled and charged up.
Our official mentor-mentee relation ended in August 2014 but we have kept in touch ever since, celebrating birthdays and Christmas every year. Even though she is miles away I barely feel the distance because I know she is one text away. Amy is family, Amy is mom and she is always there for me.
There’s a quote that says, “No individual raindrop ever considers itself responsible for the rain” and that speaks of the collective work done by all my mentors in empowering me and helping to shape and build me into the man I have become.
I am currently serving as a Team Leader in a digital solutions company. I have been working in the customer service and satisfaction space for 11 years now and I must say it has also played a role in helping me come out of my shell and express myself better. It has also given me the privilege of affording my sister an opportunity to go back to school in order to fulfil the dreams she gave up to be a mother to us.
~Lebohang, Net Blazer