Like many of the Infinite Family Net Buddies, life for Phindile hasn’t always been easy. She came to live at Nkosi’s Haven with her sister and her grandmother when she was 9, after the death of her mother, and for many years, despite her bright smile, she was a girl who kept her thoughts to herself. During her first year or so as a net buddy, she tended to be shy, especially when her mentor, Paula, asked her about her interests or what she wanted to do in her life. But slowly, Phindile felt more confident voicing her dreams, and during one session, she told Paula that when she grew up, she wanted to go into media and be a “TV presenter”— a big admission for a girl who often said that she didn’t like to be the center of attention.
But that’s the magic of Infinite Family — the long-term relationships formed by Net Buddies and their Video Mentors often have transformative effects. “One thing that has always been important to me as a mentor is helping my Net Buddies (I’ve had three so far—all young women) feel comfortable speaking up for themselves, something I’ve learned isn’t always encouraged for young people in South Africa,” shared Paula.
Phindile started to nurture her interest in media, taking photos and eventually joining Instagram, where she displayed them. She also worked hard in high school and was able to go to North West University on a bursary/scholarship, majoring in industrial and labor relations. Along the way, she started a nail business, showcasing her hand-drawn nail art on Instagram, which attracted her first clients, both at the Haven and while at school. Just as important, she kept her media dreams alive, joining the campus radio station during her freshman year, then, as a senior, auditioning for and earning a spot on the university podcast team. (Her winning audition is here!)
These days, Phindile’s shyness seems a thing of the past, as she takes the microphone like a pro during weekend events at school and shines as part of the school’s leadership team. Thanks to all her hard work and her participation in Infinite Family — she and her Video Mentor still talk every few weeks and recently saw each other when Paula visited Johannesburg, Phindy may still sometimes feel shy inside, but what the world sees is a confident, outspoken woman who, against all odds, is pursuing her childhood passion.