A day in the life and home of a child in an informal settlement.

I wake with a grumble and a groan. “Morning Classmates, I am Kella” comes my older sister’s voice. My stomach is very sore from hunger. Ow! My bed is rather hard, but still slightly softer than the floor in the shack. I crawled out of the bedroom and into some clothes. I peered into the small fridge hopeful as could be, only to find it empty. I check the cupboard for some bread sticks. I turn around, breadstick breakfast in my hand, to see my dad carrying my mom down the passage. Carrying! “What on earth?”, yelled my brain.  “Where’s the food?”, yelled my stomach. “Coming”, replies my arm bringing the bread stick to my mouth. Crunch! I take a big bite of the bread stick.

“Hello Hun” says my mom. “Your dad got a new job and surprised me with a great big secret!”.  “What?” I ask extremely excited. “A new house! An E-khaya shack structure. We will each have our own sleeping spots!”  By now I am over the moon with excitement. “An upstairs and downstairs will be built.” My mom goes on and on about the surprise for about two more minutes.  Suddenly she changes gears and goes into school overdrive mode. Kella walks in saying her oral (which she probably put together at three in the morning after getting back from her bartending job). Now that mom is going off at Kella about last night I can finally sneak something to the dog.

At school I try really hard to be good and concentrate on my work, but I’m still too physically drained to get anything done. Shoot it’s break and the power is out, again!  Eskom is really getting on my nerves. School assembly flew past in a blur. Freedom at last, school is over and we can play soccer. I play keeper for the Super Stars. By the time I got home from playing and joking with friends it was 7pm. I slept well thinking about the new house.