Zoleka (Celebrated By Nonzukiso)
My mom raised me as a single mother because my father was not in the picture. She basically hustled and made things happen. From as young as I can remember, she was running a spaza shop (tuck shop) making money to provide for us. From her, I learnt hard work, resilience, perseverance, and humility. With these values, I am where I am today.
My mom is my best friend, a straight talker of note. When I ask for advice, she always responds with “I trust you to make the best decision for yourself.” This advice has carried me through varsity and my work life because I always think carefully about any decisions I make that affect my life. In short, I love her.
Tell us a little bit about yourself...
I’m passionate about reading and writing. I’m actually an introverted extrovert and recently found my voice through fitness and dance. I’m an accounting professional by day. My ultimate dream is to head up a non-profit organization back in my hometown that focuses on reintroducing Physical Education in schools in order to improve gross motor skills in young children. For now, I’m a 27-year-old working full time and studying towards becoming a qualified Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) through the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
What's your favourite memory of your mother?
My best memory of my mother is one we recently made - we went on holiday together, just the two of us. We did it all - breakfast in bed, shopping, late-night chats, you name it. This was a first of its kind and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Being far away from home due to work and school has been hard for me, so now I look forward to this little tradition of ours, spending mother and daughter time.
How is your relationship with your mother today? How has it evolved over the years?
I would say our relationship is good and it has definitely evolved over the years. My mom is my best friend. She’s the one person I let in on anything that is happening in my life. I can talk to her about anything and everything. While I was a teen, this relationship helped me stay away from a lot of things, especially in the village where we stayed, teen pregnancy and alcohol abuse were prevalent. She was very open and maintained an open dialogue about these things with me, which equipped me because I could then make the choice whether to get involved in those things or not. We still maintain that open dialogue today and I’m truly grateful for that.
"My mother always says..." I trust you to make the right decision for your life.
Complete this sentence: "I adore my mother because..."
She’s my best friend.