
Noncedo Mngomeni
My name is Noncedo Mngomeni, and I am 30 years old. I grew up in the Eastern Cape, raised by my grandparents while my parents worked tirelessly to provide for us. When my grandfather passed away in 2005, life became incredibly difficult as his pension was our main source of income. Despite the struggles, my grandmother’s unwavering faith and prayers gave us hope. Slowly, my parents’ small tavern began to sustain us.
In Grade 10, I moved to Cape Town with no understanding of English. It was one of the hardest years of my life—I couldn’t participate in class and scored 0 for orals. But I refused to give up. I joined Lalela, an art project that built my confidence and improved my English. I passed Grade 12 in 2012 and pursued an Educare Diploma while working at Disa Primary as an assistant teacher. With NSFAS and Disa’s scholarship, I earned my degree. Today, I am a proud and qualified Grade R teacher, forever grateful to God and my ancestors for their guidance through every storm.