My Personalized Childrens biography Albook A compilation of short stories written by children in South Africa African Literature

This Albook was written By #Childs Name To narrate her personal life story And published By Bala Books Creations In the year #Current Her journey has not ended, but only just begun!

My first day at school Bonang Liholo was very excited about starting her primary schooling, and the first week was her favourite ever! Bonangs mom, Mojabeng, told her that she was now a big girl and would no longer go to crche, but that she would now be going to school at Vuleka Primary School. Bonangs mom was very excited to see how fast her little girl had grown. She couldnt wait to tell everyone that Bonang was starting school soon, she told her relatives and all her neighbours too. When Bonang received her new school uniform from her mom, she could not contain her excitement to wear it. Her mom had bought her a grey skirt, two blue shirts, a pair of white socks, a grey school jersey and two pairs of black school shoes. Now Bonang was completely ready to start big school.

When the big day finally came, Bonangs mom, Jabi, and her granny, Mamorena, accompanied her to her new school. They were all nervous and excited at the same time! Bonang looked very pretty in her new school uniform and her new hairstyle to go with it. They all caught a metro bus in the morning which took them to Bonangs new school. When they arrived at the new school, Vuleka Primary, Bonangs mom pulled out a camera from her bag and took some photos of her, and some where she was with her new schoolmates. Bonang was shown to her new grade 1 classroom, and when she walked in, a huge smile came over her face. Wow! Bonang exclaimed when she saw all the other kids in her new class. She knew that she was going to make lots of friends and have lots of fun with them.

My family picnic at the Zoo Lake Family outings are a wonderful time to bond with my loved ones Bonang told her mom, on their way to Zoo Lake. Vuleka School, at St. Martins, had arranged a family outing for all the children, and they asked them to bring their families and friends along, so that all the teachers and the parents could meet and get to know each other better. Bonang brought her mom, her aunt, mamane Malewatle, and her other granny, ausi Jessy, along. Her other two grannies from Parkwood and their children also joined them at the picnic later that day and they had a wonderful time together. Bonang played with her mom and her aunt on the swings and then they played soccer with everyone. Her day was full of fun memories and lots of presents that she got from her mom.

My 7th Birthday Party Bonang Liholo turned 7 years old on the 24th of January 2013, and she celebrated her birthday at school with all of her friends. Bonangs mom had ordered the birthday cake a week early and made the party packs the previous day for everyone in Bonangs class. Bonang slept very early the night before her birthday, and could not wait for the morning to come. When she woke up in the morning, her mom and her granny came into her bedroom and sang Happy Birthday to her. They gave her lots of hugs and kisses and told her that it was her birthday! Bonang was very excited and she couldnt wait to get to school. She took a bath and wore her beautiful casual clothes because it was her birthday and left for school.

When she arrived at her school, Bonang noticed that her name was written on the big board in her class, with a nice birthday message next to it. She smiled and said thank you to her teacher and her classmates. Bonang could not wait for 11 oclock; this is when everyone stops whatever they are doing to celebrate a birthday. Bonangs granny arrived at the school with a big cake in her one hand and a bag full of party packs in the other, a few minutes before 11 oclock. All the kids were excited to see her, especially Bonang, and they all rushed to help her with the parcels. They gave the cake to their class teacher to cut for everyone, and she invited two of Bonangs friends from grade 2, Naledi and Otsile, to join them. Everyone sang to Bonang and this was her best birthday ever!

Sports day at Vuleka On the 21st of July 2013, all the Vuleka schools had a sports day event at Rosebank Primary School. The event took place at Rosebank Primary because they have a big, beautiful sports field that can fit everyone. The night before sports day, Bonangs and her mom prepared snacks, sandwiches, sweets and cold drinks for the sports day. This resulted in them sleeping awfully late. The next morning, Bonang, her mom and her granny, woke up very early to go to the sports day. Bonang wore her school uniform with a yellow t-shirt; her mom wore a yellow t-shirt too. Yellow was the colour of Bonangs team, and her mom wanted to support her all the way!

When it was time for the athletics to start, Bonang got very excited because she was running up against the other teams, and she knew that her mom and granny were there to cheer her on. Bonang ran very fast and came third! Her mom and granny were shouting her name in excitement, and at the end of the race, they ran up to her and hugged and kissed her. Congratulations! they said to her. After the race had ended, all the parents were invited to race among themselves. All the parents joined in, including Bonangs mom, and when they heard the whistle, they all ran to the finish line. Bonang didnt know that her mom could run that fast, she now knew why she could also run so fast. Bonangs mom came in place, just like Bonang did. They were both very happy for each other and took lots of pictures together!

First Day at Vuleka The 16th of January 2013 marked an incredible event in the lives of Bontle Phungo, her mom, Liz, her sister, Lumka and her granny, Masechaba. This was the day that Bontle began her first day of schooling, at Vuleka Primary School in Rosebank. It all began on a Wednesday morning, when Bontle had to wake up very early, to get ready for her first day at Vuleka. Her granny, Masechaba, who was so used to taking Bontle to school, was feeling a little sad because Bontle now had to be woken up at 4:30 am, everyday, for a better education. At first, Bontle was scared of taking a taxi to school, but the taxi driver made her feel welcomed. And although she was feeling a little tired in the taxi, she just couldnt sleep.

The taxi arrived at Bontles school just in time for assembly, but Bontle was worried that her mom, Liz and her sister, Lumka, would not make it to her first day at school. But as she looked around, she saw that both her mom and sister were among the other parents and were making their way to the chapel. Father Luke, the school priest, was introduced to them by the schools principal; this was the first time that Bontle saw a proper priest at a school. There was a short prayer and then the parents had to leave. But Bontle was still feeling a little sad, but she knew that she had to stay behind and learn. When Bontles mom and sister left, she knew that shed have to make some friends. She met three nice girls that had been together since grade 2, Nonkululeko, Khanya and Sinovuyo and became their friend on that first day, which was a good sign of fitting in. She sat next to Nonkululeko in class and she made her feel very welcome at Vuleka.

Vuleka Sports Day On Saturday, the 27th of July 2013, Vuleka School had a sports day event for the whole school and Bontle was one of the learners that were running that day. She had to wake up very early that morning and be at Rosebank Primary School by 8am for the Vuleka Sports day. Bontle and her family, mom, her sister, Lumka, her cousin, Sihle and her granny, Masechaba, left home in a hurry, to meet up with her dad, Jay, who was also coming to the first school event. They all arrived safely at the venue and Bontle was excited to be running for her school and also a little sad because her dad, Jay, had to rush off to work. Bontle was very proud of her mom, Liz, for being a parent representative on the field. Her friends quickly recognised her mom,

from the Derby day and were pointing her out to Bontle. The sports day was a great success, everyone had fun singing the school songs and Bontle was very happy that she was running for her school. When she was running, her family shouted out her name in excitement! And even though Bontles school did not win a trophy, they still had the best spirit and she was happy to be a part of the SMV team. At the end of the day, on their way back home, Bontle and her family stopped for ice cream at McDonalds, to celebrate her outstanding performance.

Holiday visit to Klerksdorp During the school winter break, in August, Bontle visited her aunt, Nzwaki, who lives in the North Western Province, in a town called Klerksdorp. Klerksdorp is a very small town, where her aunt lives with her family, her husdband Jeff and their three children, Bontles cousins, Lungiswa, Katlego and Bothlali. During her visit, Bontle and her family had to go to the Department of Home Affairs, to apply for Katlegos new identity document. They walked to town, which was quite nearby and when they walked inside the Department of Home Affairs, Katli had to wait in line, to have his pictures taken and in another line, to submit his application form. He was really excited to be one of the first few people to apply for the new Card I.D. but after a few minutes in the queue, they were sadly turned away and told that the card machine had not yet arrived.

I wonder when will I get my own identity document and if the application will still be the same then, Bontle thought to herself. Her aunt, Nzwaki, took them for a delicious lunch at Spur, where Bothlali and Bontle played on a few games. Bontle had lots of fun visiting her aunt and cousins, but she still missed her family at home very much.

My 9th Birthday Bontle Phungo turned 9 years old on Monday, the 14th of October 2013, but she did not celebrate her birthday on this particular day. Instead, her mom, Liz, told her that she would celebrate her birthday a day early, on Sunday, the 13th of October. This made a lot of sense to Bontle since the 14th was a weekday and school night. Bontles mom asked her to pick her favourite restaurant, where they would have a family dinner, to celebrate her birthday; Bontle picked a restaurant atThe Glen shopping centre. On Saturday, Bontles mom, and her sister, Lumka, went to town and bought everything that they would need to make birthday party packs for Bontle and all her friends at school.

Bontles mom took the party packs to her school and gave them to her teacher on Monday morning. The party packs were made from beautiful boxes, coloured in different bright colours and filled with delicious and sweet treats. Later that afternoon, Bontles mom had another surprise for her; she told Bontle that she would take her to a concert, to see her favourite music group, The Soil, for the first time, on Friday. I cant wait to see The Soil singing on stage! Bontle told her mom in excitement.

My trip to the Johannesburg zoo The year 2013 has marked a series of incredible events in the life of Giki Mokotedi. This is the year that Giki went to visit the zoo, amongst other things. On Friday, September 2013, Giki visited the Johannesburg zoo and with her, were her grandmother, Emily, and her friends, Lesedi, Lesego and Senzo. Visiting the zoo was a very exciting time for Giki and her friends, and of course, for her grandmother too. When they arrived at the zoo, they saw many different animals, such as; baboons, lions, giraffes and elephants. Lesedi was especially excited to see the elephants. After the tour of the zoo and seeing all the animals, Gikis grandmother bought delicious hot dogs, snacks and juice at the mini tuckshop and they all sat on the bench and had a great meal.

My 5th year birthday party Giki Mokotedis 5th year birthday party was a very special occasion, which she celebrated with her closest friends and family. Giki had a short but intimate guest list and on it were her friends, Dintle and Thabang, and her cousins, Kamo and Kamotswe. The birthday party was held in Naledi, on Sunday, and Grandma Emily, aunty Portia, and Gikis mom, Regina, were helping with all the preparations. Gikis mom baked the cake; and it was a big birthday cake indeed. Grandma Emily and aunty Portia collected all of the presents that Gikis friends had brought for her; Giki truly looked and felt like a princess at her birthday.

Later that day, Gikis uncle came over with a camera and took lots of birthday pictures of her with her friends. But what really made this day special was that her uncle had brought the best present for her, something that she had always wished for. Giki got a big, brand new doll that came with a walking ring! This was a present fit for a princess.

Sleepover with my friends One day, Giki invited her friends over to her house in Soweto for a sleepover, and then on Wednesday, June 2013, they all came over for the sleep over, at Gikis home. Gikis mother, Regina and her grandmother, Emily, were there to welcome Gikis friends and cater to their needs. Giki was not expecting such a wonderful turnout; she thought that only one or two people would show up. The sleepover went very well; Gikis mother read them a story just before bed, The three little monkeys jumping on the bed. The three little monkeys were jumping on the bed, and the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed, read her mother.

Another story that Gikis mother read to them was Cinderella. Giki enjoyed this fairytale story more than any of the other stories that were read to them. Her favourite part in the story was when Cinderella got married to the prince in her beautiful, bright dress. When Gikis mother got to the end of the story, Giki and her friends had fallen asleep and that was the end.

My friends birthday party Gikis friend, Isabella, was having a birthday celebration in Parkview and Giki was there to help her celebrate her special birthday. The guest list included Grandma Cathrine, Isabellas mother, Susan, and Giki, amongst others. The birthday party took place on one Saturday of November 2013 and Giki was impressed at how wonderful everything looked; from the awesome decorations, to the delicious food prepared and the wonderful speeches that were made. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to You, for the birthday princess and showered her with the wonderful presents that they had brought, and Giki and her friends got party packs filled with sweet and delicious goodies. This is the best birthday Ive been to so far! Giki said, while playing with her friends.

My first visit to Thembisa Giki Mokotedi is one special girl who is loved very much by her family. On one Saturday, in March of 2013, Giki went to Thembisa, to visit her family, for the first time. Her aunt, Boitumelo, her uncle, Lefume and her cousins, Kamo and Kamotswe, all live in Thembisa, and having Giki over, for the holidays, was an exciting time for them. They all went to the park and had lots of fun together. They ate lots of sweets and icecream and played on the jungle gym. After all the fun and play, they all went back home, to aunt Boitumelos house, where there was lots of food and desert arranged on the table. They all sat down and enjoyed the delicious food. Gikis favourite was the desert; she just could not stop asking for more.

My visit to the cinema Herman Sejoe once lived in Rustenburg, in a rural village called Makoshong; a place far away from the city in which he now lives.This is a place where there are no cinemas, but only TVs and radios. When Herman visited his mother and his brother, in Johannesburg, he watched movies on the same TV and sometimes on a laptop, but there wasnt much of a difference from what he had seen in Rustenburg. Until his brother told him about the Big screen called a cinema. Herman was confused, A place with a huge TV that we have to pay to watch? he exclaimed. His brother took him to The Zone Mall, in Rosebank and bought movie tickets, popcorn, drinks and chocolate, and then told Herman that he could choose a movie of his choice.

Herman chose an animated movie called Megamind, and they went inside the cinema, with all their treats, and Herman saw the Big screen, for the first time in his life. The seats were so comfortable and the screen was big and loud. They watched the movie, until the end, while eating popcorn and sipping on cold drinks. Herman had the best time of his life, especially because his brother was right there with him. After the movie ended, they rushed back home, because Herman could not wait another minute, to tell his mother and his friends, all about his visit to the cinema.

My first time owning a laptop Hermans brother works for a big computer company and loves working with computers and owns his own laptop. When Herman was visiting his brother, he borrowed him his laptop to play with. He played lots of games on the laptop, but also learned how to type too. Herman enjoyed using his brothers laptop so much that his brother promised to get him his own. One day, Hermans brother came home with a brand new laptop, and told Herman that he was giving him his old laptop to use. Herman was very excited because he had always wanted to own his own laptop. His brother connected their laptops to the internet; this allowed Herman to do all his school work research and play all the games he liked. I love my brother so much, he is the best brother in the world, he said.

Hermans big brother lives in Pretoria and Herman loves to visit him every chance he gets. He owns his own car and visits the family, in Johannesburg, every weekend. But one weekend, he came to visit the family, and didnt bring his car. He told his family that he rode in the Gautrain! He told Herman that the reason he came on the Gautrain, was because he wanted him to come back to Pretoria on the Gautrain with him. This will be the best experience for you, he told Herman. Herman was excited about getting on the Gautrain. He and his brother went to the train station at Rosebank, where his brother bought him a gold card to use for travelling aboard the Gautrain. Then they made their way underground, to the tunnel, to wait for the train.

The train arrived in exactly 5 minutes and it was travelling from Johannesburg to Pretoria. Herman had never seen such a fast and beautiful train before. This was an eight cart train. Herman and his brother hopped in and the train zoomed to Pretoria. The train made several stops before reaching Pretoria, and people got on and off along the way. It travelled underground and on land, and Herman saw the beautiful scenery. Pretoria was the seventh station, but Herman didnt notice because the train was travelling too fast. Hermans brother showed him where the trains were fixed and where the Gautrain buses parked. The train was faster than any car that Herman had ever seen, and when they arrived in Pretoria, Hermans brother took him by the hand and they checked out and exited the station. And thats how their trip was made.

Changing schools Hermans mother and his brothers lived in Johannesburg, while was living with his grandmother in the North West Province. He always visited his family in Johannesburg during school holidays, and they would also visit him in Rustenburg once a month. But seeing them only once a month was not enough and this made Herman sad. Herman went to school at Makoshong primary and had a friend called Oarabile. They played together every day, after school. One day Hermans mother asked him if he wanted to come and live with them in Johannesburg. Herman was excited that hes mother was considering this. He said Yes of course and went to ask his grandmother for her blessings. She said it was okay for him to go but he had to visit her on every school holiday. Herman could not wait to play with

his brothers, visit the zoo, park and the mall for ice-cream, and more importantly, being with his mother every single day. Herman was so happy about moving to Johannesburg, he told all of his friends about his moving to the big city and how he would miss them all. His life at Vuleka Primary School started after his move to the city. He took a taxi every morning to his new school in Randburg. He swam and played soccer at school and travelled to new and different places. Herman loves his school very much; he reads a lot now and does all his homework on time. His mother helps him with his schoolwork, and so do his brothers. Moving to Johannesburg was definitely the best move that he has ever made.

My dog Lucky Lucky was a very special dog that was given to Herman, when he was 5 years old, as a present, from his grandmother. He was brown and beautiful and loved playing with Herman every day. Herman wanted him to sleep in the house but his grandmother refused. But Herman snuck him at night after everyone had gone to sleep. One day his grandmother heard Lucky bark in the house and ordered him to sleep in his own house. Herman was saddened by this because lucky only barked at strangers and not at family and friends. Lucky died when Herman was 10 years old, and now he misses him very much. He knew that he would not be able to play catch with him ever again. He was one special dog and a best friend to me, said Herman.

My 1st day at my new school The 16th of January 2013 marked an incredible beginning in the lives of Keamogetswe Amo Masekoameng and hes parents Aaron and Malebo. This is the day when Keamogetswe first started hes grade 2 schooling at Vuleka Primary School. Hes parents, Aaron and Malebo, were very proud; theirs was the excitement of seeing their little boy grow up right before their eyes. Amo's parents took him to school that morning; it was a Wednesday. When they arrived at school that morning, Amo's parents took him to the principals office; Mr. Peter Mmwira, and left him there all by himself. Amo felt very scared because he did not know anyone at the new school. He wondered how the other kids would treat him; "Are they going to like me and be kind to me?" he thought to himself.

Keamogetswe was told to wait at the play area until the principal; Mr. Peter Mmwira showed him his new class. Mr. Peter Mmwira took him to hes new classroom to meet hes new teacher; Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor gave all the children in her class name tags and asked them to stand up and introduce themselves to the class. Keamogetswe introduced himself to hes new classmates and made new friends with Sipho, Olaotswe, Rudy, Lesego, Omphile D, Omphile S and Amile. When Amo returned from school, he told his mom and dad, "The best thing about today was making new friends and not feeling scared at the end of the day. I felt free and I love my new school!"

Today, Amo plays for the Vuleka school soccer team, and on the 22nd of June 2013, at the school derby day in Weltevreden Park; his mom, dad and baby cousin, Alwande came to watch him play. Amo played for the grade 2-3 soccer teams and scored 1 goal for his team. Amos goal led to their school team winning; his dad, Aaron was very happy because he loves soccer just as much.

My swimming lessons Keamogetswe has always been fond of swimming, but what he did not know was that hes mom Malebo, and aunt Refilwe, had some good news that they were keeping from him all this time. Keamogetswe's mom eventually told him the good news; she and aunt Refilwe, had arranged for him and hes cousin brother Alwande, to start their swimming lessons on Saturdays at Wilgespruit from the 02nd March 2013. "This is the best news ever!" Amo shouted when he heard the news. Amo and Alwande went for their assessment on the 22nd February at Aquanauts Swimming School; the swimming teachers confirmed that they were accepted for Saturday morning classes.

Now, every Saturday morning, around 07:30am, Aaron and Malebo or aunt Refilwe and uncle Vusi, take them to their swimming lessons; it all depends on who they spend the weekend with. Their family takes turn with them every week; one week Alwande comes to Cosmo City ant the next Amo goes to Dobsonville. Amo likes this arrangement a lot! After each lesson, the swimming instructors give them a sweet and a sticker for a job well done! "I am happy that my mom and aunt decided to take us for swimming lessons because my cousin and I love swimming," said Amo. "The best part of the lesson was the day granny Didi decided to take us for swimming lessons; she was so proud of us when she saw just how much we have improved." said Alwande.

April Holiday Club Maria (grandmother), Moalusi (grandfather), Malebo (mom), Aaron (dad), Place (Lanseria) & (Dobsonville) Keamogetswes April School Holiday was nothing short of fun! Although his parents sent him to visit his grandparents -Moalusi and Maria- in Dobsonville because they had to work every day and there was no one to look after him during the day at their home in Cosmo city, Keamogetswe knew that he would have his fun no matter what. On Saturday the 13th of April 2013, after his swimming lesson, Keamogetswes grandmother told him that she had arranged for him to attend a holiday club at Refilwe community in Lanseria; he had no idea what he would be doing at the holiday club.

His grandmother explained to him that the holiday club was a place where qualified teachers helped learners with their holiday homework. Keamogetswe was excited about the holiday club, from the 15th of April 2013, he started travelling with his grandparents to the club; they have a private clinic in Lanseria near the holiday club. When they arrived in Lanseria, Keamogetswe was introduced to a lady by the name of Lelanie; Lelanie introduced him to the other teachers and children at the club. Keamogetswe made new friends at the holiday club with a boy named Refilwe and other kids. His new teachers, Jazz and Stephanie, were very friendly and caring.

Keamogetswe enjoyed the three weeks that he spent with his friends and teachers and everything he learned at the club. He learned about the BIBLE, art and received help with all his homework. The only unfortunate incident was on the last day, when someone broke into hes moms car at a parking mall and stole some of Keamogetswes clothes and his moms phone. Hes mom had picked up his clothes from his grandparents place and was on her way to fetch him. When Amos teachers heard what happened they felt very sad and donated some clothes to him.

My July Holiday Club During the normal school holidays; from the 1st to the 5th of July, Keamogetswes school, Vuleka, did not close but gave all the children a week off school to rest. But Amos school had organized their own holiday club during the school break at Randburg Methodist church. He asked his parents if he could attend the holiday club and they said yes; they knew that he would benefit something from it. The organizers of the holiday club made transport arrangements for all the kids to be picked up from their homes; this was a great arrangement for Amo. At the club, he met his team leaders, Mr. Peckleys and Mr. Josh, and learned a lot about the bible and art.

On Thursday the 04th July all parents were invited to the gala dinner where Amo and his group demonstrated what they had learned that week; their theme was Fire and Water. Amo and his parents enjoyed themselves at the dinner; his mom took some pictures so she could put them in this book.

The Big Sport Day Luvuyo Stuurman is one of Vuleka Schools best goalkeepers and soccer player. He and his friends; Amo, Olatswe, and Omphile know how to capture the crowd with their skills on the football pitch. At one of Vulekas sport days, this was held at Luvuyos school, he and his friends, Amo, Olatswe, and Omphile, were on the same team and had planned to score as many goals as possible. Luvuyo was the goalkeeper, and his job was to keep the other teams soccer balls from getting inside the net. Luvuyo did a great job of this; he managed to keep all the balls out while his friend Omphile scored the goal which led to their team wining. This was a fun day for Luvuyo and his team.

Trip to the zoo On Friday the 10th of May, Luvuyo Stuurman and his school mates went on a school trip to the zoo. Luvuyo was excited and he was looking forward to seeing all the wild animals. This is a day that he has been waiting for! The school taxi was waiting and ready to take everyone to the zoo; amongst them were teachers Joyce and Sannah. Theirs was to make sure that everyone was safe at all times and that no child misbehaves. At the zoo, Luvuyo and his friends Quinton and Lunga saw numerous kinds of wild animals such as lions, baboons, snakes and elephants. After seeing all the animals at the zoo, Luvuyo and his classmates went to the park where they all played and ate their food and enjoyed the rest of their outing.

School Holidays Luvuyo Stuurman recognizes the August school holidays as a special event in the chapters of his incredible life; this was when he got the opportunity to visit his grandparents in Edenburg; something that was very dear and special to him. On Thursday the 8th of August 2013, Luvuyo and his mother took a train from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein. Upon their arrival at Bloemfontein, they got on to a taxi that took them to Edenburg. Luvuyos family in Edenburg was very happy to see him and how much he had grown up. He enjoyed spending the holidays with his grandparents very much, and could not have asked for a better way to spend his school holidays.

During the week however, when his grandparents went to work, Luvuyo had no other choice but to stay at home with his uncles who took very good care of him. Every day, when his cousin Kananelo returned home from school, they would go outside to play. Luvuyo loved spending time with everyone and hopes to visit Edenburg again very soon.

My 10th Year Birthday There has been a report on the local news that Luvuyo Stuurman is turning 7 years old this year, and he has decided to have a special birthday Party at his home. Every local news reporter is talking about Luvuyos birthday party; those that know him know just how amazing his birthday parties are! Luvuyo turned 10 years old on the 23rd of August 2013. His grandmother backed a beautiful, big chocolate cake for him that day, and told him that he could invite his friends over to help him celebrate his special day. Luvuyo invited Aphiwe, Vuyokazi, Mawethei and his cousin Kananelo to his birthday party. They all brought lots of presents for Luvuyo, and sang happy birthday to you to him. Luvuyo realized how special he is, because all his friends love him so much.

After eating as much cake as they could, Luvuyo and his friends decided to go outside and play. The whole neighborhood was kept awake by the loud singing and laughter that was coming from Luvuyos house. Luvuyo turned to his grandmother and said; Thank you very much, I had a great day with my friends; I really enjoyed my birthday.

My Journey Mandy Kagiso Jacobs is a bright, beautiful, little girl, whos very special to her mom and dad. Mandy has always been a very shy person and her parents chose the names Mandy Kagiso Jacobs for her, but she prefers to be called Mandy, and thats because her parents have explained the special meaning of her name to her. Mandy means MUCH LOVE and she has brought nothing but love into the lives of her parents and to the whole wide world. Mandy is nine years old and lives with both her parents in Roodepoort; she is the only child and is very happy about it. She is a very shy person and does not have a lot of friends at home.

She has one special friend and her name is Queen, and she doesnt live far from Mandys house. Mandys only other friend is her dog, Snouts; she is a Boer bull; a large, mastiff dog breed from South Africa thats bred for the purpose of guarding the homestead. But Snouts is a very playful dog, too playful in fact, that she became rough when playing with Mandy sometimes. Mandys mom and dad agreed that it was best to send Snouts away. Mandy knew that giving Snouts to another good family was the best thing to do, this way; she would not get hurt from playing with her. Snouts used to mess things up all the time; she dug up dad's garden; broke all of moms brooms; and ate everything she came across. Seeing Snouts get taken away broke little Mandys heart because she still loved her very much and would miss having her around.

Playing with my gadgets and my friends Mandys parents are always teaching her about being safe, and they always caution her about playing in the streets or in other people's homes. Mandy and her friend, Queen, do not see each other very often, but Queen always visits Mandys house to play with her for a bit. Mandy has a number of other fun things to play with around the house, such as her play station game, games downloaded on her tablet, and listening to music on her iPad. Whenever she feels bored from playing with all her gadgets, she watches movies on the DVD or cartoons on the decoder in her bedroom. Her parents don't seem to mind; as long as she is home and safe. Although Mandy has one friend at home, at school however, she is very popular and has lots of nice and kind friends to play with.

Friends like Londeka, Tshiamo, Lerato and Letlhogonolo. Mandy has always been very smart; she started her early learning when she was four years old and this year is her sixth year at Vuleka School; its hardly a surprise to see just how many friends Mandy has made at her school. When Mandy was asked how she felt about being at Vuleka, this is what she had to say: I love my friends because they are the best; I also love my school teachers and my head principal too; I love my school very much because it is the best school ever. And my parents always say it has to be the best because it is a Christian school. I love to mention how much I love my parents because they are the best parent's in the world. They are taking care of me and seeing to it that I have everything I need and I thank God for giving me parents who always want to see me happy, she said.

My bad hair day sad story When Mandy Jacobs was only three years old, she did something that would always remain in the back of her mind; something that she would rather forget, than be reminded of. One Saturday morning, Mandy mother told her that she wanted to relax her hair; it had developed growth and was very painful for Mandy to comb. Her mother wanted to relax her hair, herself, because she feared that the people at the salon might not be gentle or even patient with Mandys hair. Mandys mother always wants to see Mandys hair looking pretty and neat, because its really long and beautiful. She wanted to comb it with ease and help her to fasten it in any style she liked.

But Mandy hated having her hair relaxed or combed; the combing, conditioning, and blow drying gave her a headache. She would often cry or pretend to be asleep or even tell her mother that she has a headache, each time she had to get her hair done. But in the end, her mothers efforts finally paid off!

Mandy looked very pretty with her relaxed hair and ponytails, but then she did something that got her into serious trouble with her mother; after getting her hair done, she went into her bedroom and got out a pair of scissors, and she cut her one ponytail off! She had no idea what she had done or just how much trouble she was in.

When she went back into the kitchen, where her mother was cooking supper, with a batch of her hair in her hand and a pair of scissors in the other, and showed her mother what she had done, all hell broke loose! What have you done? Mandys mother yelled. She hit Mandy so hard, that she cried and screamed and even wet her pants. Mandy had never seen her mother so upset, but then she knew that she had made a big mistake, never to be repeated again.

My birthday surprise A day I wont forget Mandy Jacobs turned 9 years old, on the 28th of May 2013, and she celebrated her birthday at her school, with all of her friends. Mandys parents did not bake a birthday cake for her this year, but bought her party packs, filled with delicious goodies for her and her classmates instead. Mandy was very excited to see her party packs and so were her classmates. Mandys party began at school, immediately after break. Her teacher, Mrs. Pakari, gathered everyone around and asked them to sing Happy Birthday to Mandy. Everyone sang for her and this made her feel loved and filled her eyes with tears. Mrs. Pakari then gave everyone a party pack; it was filled with sweets and other nice things, and all the children really enjoyed them.

Mandys friends; Londeka, Thato, Lerato and Tshiamo, had a special surprise for her; they made special birthday cards, just for her! Mandy was very happy to receive her gifts and it truly made her feel special. They are beautiful and I love them so much! she shouted. Although Mandys parents did not give her a present that day, they woke her up early that morning and sang Happy Birthday to her and gave her lots and lots of hugs and kisses, and told her to enjoy her birthday with all of her friends at school. They also gave her an early birthday gift, a month before her birthday, a brand new Tablet which she continues to enjoy playing with, every day.

My Journey-by Ricardo Adoor Ricardo Adoor was born in Johannesburg, in a small location, in Devland Ext 27, near Eldorado Park. He grew up in Rosebank, a suburb in the north, with his grandmother and went to a nearby school. This made it easier and a lot quicker for Ricardo to get to school. Ricardos journey began at Vuleka Primary School, St Martins, in the year 2006. This was where he started his schooling at the age of five and ever since then, he has been particularly interested in the school and its standards. Ricardos interest developed when he realized, that the school offered goodquality education, sports, enjoyable activities, fun, outings and trips, and

most importantly, kind and loving teachers with good skills. The skills which Ricardo has acquired at Vuleka have not only helped him as a learner, but they have helped him to discover himself as a person too. Thanks to Vuleka School, Ricardo has developed an interest in different activities, like baking, swimming, soccer, reading, singing, running and chess, all of which he now proudly refers to as his hobbies. No doubt that these have helped him to achieve a lot of great things in his life. Last year, Ricardo won a medal for being a great and competitive chess player. He is also in the school choir, and earlier this year, he was chosen to join the Pendulani Book Quiz, and now has to read a certain number of books each year.

Earlier in the year, at the school sports day, the Under-12 boys, including Ricardo, won a relay race and were given bags, for finishing first. Ricardo has a very good friendship with everyone in his classroom, thanks to his unmatched skills. It was because of his good swimming skills, that he was able to save his friend, Tumelo, from drowning. Ricardo is also very good at his academic school work; he mostly enjoys Mathematics, English, Science and Arts and Culture. He was once quoted as saying, I enjoy Maths because its challenging, and its the main subject I need to study for my career.

I also like English because its an international language, and Science, because it deals with the environment, living organisms and space, as well as Arts and Culture, because we act and dance, he said. Ricardos a good dancer too, with a little bit of experience in acting. Vuleka School affords the learners an opportunity to go on different outings; they visit art museums, to see all the different arts, the planetarium, to study about the different stars and how they all connect and make different shapes in the sky and the zoo, to learn about the different wild animals. Ricardo also loves visiting the zoo lake, to have fun and feed the ducks.

Sometimes, the school gives them an opportunity to perform a service at different companies, like the police station and other businesses. This way they can appreciate all the work thats being done for their school and all the things that are donated to them. Earlier this year, Ricardo went on a school camp with his school mates and had an awesome experience, they had a safe journey going there and coming back. The bus ride was nice and everyone was singing, eating, drinking, talking, giggling shouting and dancing. Ricardo has visited a lot of places before, but the school camp was one of the places he enjoyed the most.

He went bum sliding and had a slippery, wet and goofy experience. He also went abseiling and it was scary at first, but he soon got the hang of it, even though he was the last person to go on. He felt scared at first because he thought that the rope was not tight enough and wanted to make sure that it was secured. There were also adorable dogs that looked like the ones he had at home. Ricardo and his friends also built rafts using ropes, logs and barrels and theirs went the farthest. They had lots of fun at the camp and whenever it was time to go to sleep, none of them wanted to sleep. At one stage, they were caught talking during sleeping time and as a punishment, they had to stand outside for 10 minutes.

But they all seemed to enjoy the punishment. Throughout Ricardos lifes journey, his teachers have been by his side, helping him to realize and maximize his full potential. To him, this has been an eye opener which has led him to achieving great things in life, like passing well, being the top student in his class and achieving awards in all his subjects. This has also helped others to recognize him as someone who is well taught at some things and works hard at others. Like any other person, Ricardo sometimes does things that he quickly regrets afterwards, like being mischievous. Being the best student does not mean that I am always perfect, he said.

And there have been times when Ive allowed my temper to control me and ended up in trouble with my teachers, he confessed. Like the time when he got into trouble because he wanted to change his seating place in class, and when his teacher asked him to move back to his own seat, his reply was, I needed to change the environment I sit in. Unaware that he was put in that seat for his own good. Vuleka Schools main principle is Charity begins at home. Ricardo was pleased to learn that his school has the same principle as they have at home.

They are taught to always be SAFE, RESPONSIBLE and RESPECTFUL at school and this has helped Ricardo to improve in the way he carries himself inside and outside the school yard; a principle which will certainly take him far in life. Ricardo is a proud member of Vuleka School. His learnt a lot of things here that have shaped him into a bigger and greater person. He is honored to have such good people to support and guide him; people like his teachers, parents, granny, sponsors, friends and his role models, Angus Gibson and William Kentridge, whom he looks up to. His journey has not ended, but only just begun!

My 7th year birthday There has been a report on the local news that Rendani Tambani has turned 7 years old this year on Wednesday the 6th of February 2013, and has decided to have a special birthday party at his school. Every local news reporter was talking about Rendani's birthday party; those that Know Rendani, know that he throws the most amazing birthday parties at his school! Rendani's mom was reported as saying, "I cannot believe that my son was once such a tiny baby and now he is all grown up so fast." His mom packed a cake, Juice, cool drinks and party packs for him and his class mates. His teacher, Ms Motto, his classmates and all his friends wished him a happy birthday at school. Since it was his birthday, Rendani was allowed to wear his home clothes at school that day; so he wore his favourite red skinny jean with sneakers and a T-shirt. Rendani joked I am happy that I am growing up and my little brothers wont catch me by age anytime soon.

Later that night, at home, Rendanis mom got another cake and more drinks, and invited the family over to sing Rendani a happy birthday song. Rendani was very excited to see that everyone had come to his birthday. Amongst the people that attended were; Rendani's mom, Annah; his dad, Tshilidzi; and younger brothers Phathu and Khuliso. Rendani blew out his candles and made a wish; he wished that his parents would buy a brand new Audi car. Rendanis little brother Phathu, who is only 4 years old, wanted it to be his birthday too; Rendani knew that he was still too young to understand that his birthday was also coming up. For his birthday, his mom and dad bought him a set of Mickey Wonder Why books; Rendani exclaimed I love my books! I can now learn how things happen; like how the rainbow appears, and why the camel has humps on its back and so much more!

Easter Long weekend Rendanis parents took a day off from work on Thursday, 28th of March 2013, so that they could bypass the traffic to Limpopo province. It has been an age-old tradition in Rendanis family to visit his greatgrandparents and grandparents in Venda; his dads home, every Easter weekend. Travelling to Venda is a long drive, with several stops on the way, so Rendanis mom packed enough food for the road trip. Easter holidays mark a special event for Rendanis family. His grandparents are always excited to see just how grown up they are; they even take turns lifting them up in the air. On the day of Ester, they all visited the Lutheran Church with Grandma Agnes and Grandpa Alfred, and enjoyed a wonderful lunching at home after church. Then Rendanis dad took everyone to see greatgrandma Vho-Denga in Tshakuma.

Everyone calls her gugu, which means grandma or great grandma in Tshivenda. She was very happy to see everyone, and she cooked a very delicious Venda dish called tshidzimba for them. Tshidzimba is a Venda dish with ingredients such as; corn, ground nuts and kidney beans. Although there is electricity at greatgrandmas home, she still preferred to cook on open fire, like they did in the olden days. Rendanis mom explained to him that the reason why food cooked on an open fire was more delicious than food cooked on an electrical stove was because it still retained a lot of its goodness. Cooking outside was a great treat because the yard is very big and has lots of fruit trees such as; mangoes, bananas, litchis, pawpaws, naartjies, grape fruits, and hazel nuts.

On Sunday the 31st of March, everyone gathered at Vho-Marias house for the family society, and cooked all sorts of food. Rendanis great-grandma, Vho-Masindi, was also there; she lives with Vho-Maria. Rendani was excited to see all his cousins, although he did not remember some of their names. Gugu told him that he would eventually know everybody as he grew older; his mom said she did not know some of the people there either. When they returned home on Monday the 1st of April 2013, Rendani looked at his parents and said, This was the best Easter weekend ever!

Visiting my grandparents in Soshanguve During the school holidays, between the 12th of April and 6th of May 2013, Rendani and his younger brothers, Phathu and Khuliso, get to visit their grandparents, Emiry and Shadreck, in Soshanguve; their moms birthplace. Their grandparents always spoil them and are not as strict as their parents. They call their grandma Koko, meaning grandma in Sepedi. Koko loves it when all of her grandchildren- Rendani, Phathu, Khuliso, Motheo, Tintswalo, Khumo, and Bokamosoare in her house. They play together, but sometimes they fight and this makes Aunty Susan and Evelina very upset. On Sunday mornings, all the grandchildren attend the Apostolic Faith Mission church with grandma and grandpa; grandpa Shadreck is the pastor at his church. After church, their grandparents always buy KFC for the family, and their aunts, Susan and Evelina, will cook a delicious lunch especially for them.

Family treat (Movies and dinner at spur) Rendanis mom and dad took him and his younger brothers Phathu and Khuliso to see a movie and have dinner at Spur in Fourways on the 11th of May 2013. His mom told them that it would be a family treat, away from all the hard work they do at school and work. Their dad bought the tickets, while their mom bought them popcorn, sweets and cold drinks. At the movie house, they watched a movie called Racked Ralph, its a 3D movie, so they bought 3D spectacles to wear. The objects in the movie appeared to be right in front of them; the characters running towards them and the objects thrown appeared to be thrown at them. This movie was about a robot, from a famous electronic game, who wanted to become a hero. In the game, the robot is the bad guy who breaks things that others have built. He

grew tired of being the bad guy, and entered a different game. Here he tries to be the hero; at the cost of having the game being scraped out. They all enjoyed watching the movie, especially Rendani and Phathu, they really enjoyed it. After the movie, they booked a table at Spur, and Rendani and Phathu ordered the kiddies meals while their mom ordered prawns and spur ribs, and their dad ordered a T-bone steak with chips. It was indeed a nice family treat.

Visiting my uncle during the school break (from 28 June 2013 to 8July 2013) Its winter school break and Rendanis mom asked him who would you like to visit during your school break? Rendani replied, Uncle Khathu; he lives in Riverlea. Rendanis younger brothers chose to visit their grandparents in Venda instead; they are still in crche and will be staying longer. So Rendanis mom packed his bag and asked the transport driver to keep it until after school, because his uncle would be fetching him that afternoon. Rendani had a wonderful time with his uncle, Khathu, and aunt, Mulalo. His uncle took him to McDonald with his friends, where Rendani ordered a kiddies meal; he likes it because he gets a free gift with the meal.

The one time, when it was just Rendani and his uncle, playing hide and seek, Rendani would hide, while his uncle counted from one to ten and looked for him; this was so much fun. Sometimes his uncle would also cook him a special meal, such as; pap and wors, fried chicken, cabbage, rice, soup and chicken. Sometimes when he was bored, Rendani would ask for paper and crayons to draw his favourite cartoon Characters; Ben10, Wings club, Tom and Jerry. Rendani is a very good drawer, and his mom keeps most of his drawings. Rendani loved to play outside too, he enjoys playing with his uncles dog; his name is X. When his uncle left for Venda, on the 5th of July, Rendani stayed with his aunt and watched lots of movies like Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, Tales of wild adventure and many others. He had lots of fun.

Mr and Miss Vuleka Beauty Pageant The 20th of July 2013 marked an incredible day in the life of Rendani Tambani; this was the day he took part in the Mr and Ms Vuleka School junior beauty pageant. Weeks before the day of the pageant, Rendanis mom helped him to practice his moves; he also practiced at school. His parents bought three different outfits for the pageant; casual wear, winter wear and a complete tuxedo. His dad took him for a hair cut a day before the pageant. On the day of the pageant, Rendanis mom helped him to dress up and borrowed him her gold necklace. Rendani felt very confident, seeing his entire family there to support him all the way helped him not to feel scared at all. His mom and dad, Aunt Susan, Evelina and Molalo, Uncle Khathu and his lady friend Ndivhuho, and baby brothers Phathu and Khuliso were all there.

When the time came to contest, Rendani demonstrated his moves and impressed the judges with all his outfits. Then the moment came to announce the winners. Drums rolled and silence crept around the room. Then a loud voice announced, through the loudspeaker, Mr Vuleka Junior 2013 is, Rendani Tambani! It was his name they called out; it was Rendanis name! I cannot believe it, shouted Rendani. He walked to the front to receive his prices - a trophy, Mr Vuleka Junior 2013 belt and a bag with goodies. Everyone stood on their feet and clapped their hands for him; it was a standing ovation. His mom and aunty Susan took pictures of this incredible moment. It was Rendanis moment, and everybody was proud of him. This was the happiest day of his life.

Vuleka School2010 Aptitude Test Sibusiso Jalis life at Vuleka Primary School first began on Monday, the 26th of October 2010, when he and his mother visited the school, to have him enrolled for the next year. The 26th of October was also his birthday; this is what made that day, a memorable one in his life. While Sibusisos mother filled out the application forms in the schools office, he was waiting impatiently in the next room. When his mother was finished filling out all the forms, she went into the next room where Sibusiso was and saw that he was waiting anxiously, to hear whether or not he had been accepted. But sadly, his mother told him that they would have to come back again the next day, so that he would write an aptitude test.

Mr David Mazibuko, who works at the school, was kind enough to make transport arrangements, to have Sibusiso picked up at his home the next morning. Sibusisos mother had to leave early for work that morning and would not have been able to take him to Vuleka for his test. After all of the arrangements were made, and since it was also his birthday, Sibusisos mother took him to Spurs at Rosebank Mall, for lunch. Sibusiso really enjoyed this part of the day out very much. The next morning, Sibusisos uncle, Oupa, who also happens to be one of the schools transport drivers, picked him up at 05:00 am, along with the other children that go to Vuleka, and drove them to school. His uncle was very excited for him and encouraged him by saying You are going to pass that test today.

Sibusiso met with Ms Gladys who assessed him on his Maths literacy and other teachers who assessed his English literacy. He was panicking at first, but he felt much better after he had finished all the tests. He was immediately taken to visit the Grade 5 class where he spent the rest of his day. The next day, Sibusisos mother received a call from the School and it was about the outcome of Sibusisos aptitude test. The school recommended that he should repeat Grade 5 in order to be in line with Vulekas high Standards. This is for his own benefit. They told his mother. His mother felt sad for him and halfheartedly agreed to the recommendation, and Sibusiso was accepted to attend at St Michaels in Weltevreden Park. Sibusiso and his mother were very sad and disappointed by the outcome, but they knew that it was the best thing to do.

My Grade 5 year at Vuleka St. Michaels Sibusisos first year at Vuleka School was one of the best years of his life, he learnt more about his new school and met a new friend, Lindo, from the transport. Sibusiso and Lindo became best friends and sat next to each other in class since then. Mrs. Tim, Sibusisos grade 5 teacher, was a wonderful lady and all the children loved her very much. They did a lot of fun activities in her class, but unfortunately, Mrs. Tim had to leave the school on short notice. Then they had another teacher to replace her, but even she left in the middle of the year and was replaced by another new teacher. This time, she stayed with them till the end. Mr. King was his name, and everyone enjoyed having him as their teacher.

Changing teachers unfortunately affected Sibusisos school work; this was his first time at a Private School, he was struggling to fit in, and to make matters worse, he was still living with his granny, and she was unable to help him with his homework or check his school books. Sibusisos mother was asked to come to the school, to discuss Sibusisos progress, with Principal. It seemed that Sibusisos marks had dropped and he was not achieving the schools passing standard. The principal told his mother, Sibusiso should repeat Grade 5 next year because Im afraid that he wont cope in Grade 6. she said that they had seen a major improvement in his work, since Mr. King took over as the new class teacher, and that they were not sure what miracle had happened.

Mrs. Sharland told Sibusisos mother that Vulekas grade 6 class was difficult and needed someone who is very much committed. Sibusisos mother wanted him to go to grade 6 since there was improvement in his school work and she also promised to assist him in every way, even if it meant enrolling him into a Saturday school. Mrs. Sharland advised Sibusisos mother, to put him in after care, because the Saturday schools standard of education, might not match that of Vuleka. His mother agreed and asked the principal to transfer him to Rosebank, where he could attend aftercare and get all the assistance he needed with his home works. Sibusiso also moved in with his mother, so that she could also help him. His mother helped him every day, and asked his cousins to help him too, and thats how Sibusiso passed his Grade 5 year.

My Grade 6 year at Rosebank Jellicoe Avenue As life would have it, Sibusiso went through his fair share of challenges, just as any other ordinary boy growing up does. He started his grade 6 year at a different venue, Jellicoe Avenue, and didnt even have transport to bring him to school because he was now living in town, with his mother. His mother had to take him to school and fetch him each day, for the first 3 days, until he was able to use public transport all by himself. He used the Metro Bus and taxis to get to school and back. His grade 6 teacher, Mrs. Neaves, who also taught him English, is the schools deputy Principal. She loves Sibusisos drawings very much and she was also pleased that he was doing well in English.

Attending aftercare at Jellicoe has helped improve Sibusisos schoolwork; teacher Mirriam & Jutas assisted him with his schoolwork, and he got to play some soccer with his friends before going home. He also made some cool new friends at Jellicoe, like Sihle, Keoagile, Ntando, Thabiso, Mzamo Ntokozo, Banele and his best friend Edmore. One day, Sibusiso and his classmates received some shocking news that their previous class teacher, Mr King, at St Michaels, had passed away. Sibusiso was deeply heartbroken; Mr. King was a great teacher who helped them learn a lot; this was a very big loss to the entire school.

Grade 6 Kloof Waters trip The Grade 6 pupil, from each Vuleka branch, left on a school trip to Kloof Waters, in North West, for five days, on the 18th of June 2012. They were all placed into different groups; Sibusiso was placed in the Nurses Group. All the groups were given a task and had to compete with each other. They went hiking and mountain climbing; they also had to build a boat using barrels, wood and ropes. Then they had to put their boats in the river and ride across. Sibusisos group was the first to finish building their boat, but lost the task because their boat broke down in the river. This was the best adventurous trip Id ever been to. I enjoyed going on this trip so much, and I still miss the good food and hot chocolate we had. He said.

Grade 7- My Last Year at Vuleka This year is Sibusiso Jalis final year at Vuleka School and according to him; he has nothing to worry about. Sibusiso started off on a nonchalant mood in the beginning of the year, not doing his home works, and some of his class work. He was given a letter, by the school, to give to his parents. When Sibusiso read the letter, he knew it would upset his parents, so he hid the letter from parents and hoped that they wouldnt find it. But Sibusiso felt bad about hiding the letter, so he showed it to his father and begged him not to tell his mother. When his mother heard about this, Sibusiso was in serious trouble.

Sibusisos class teacher, Ms Gladys, teaches him science, and they do a lot of science experiments in a very fun fashion in class. Sibusiso received a Visual Arts award from his English teacher, Mrs. Neaves, this year, for his amazing drawings. Since grade 7 is the final year of primary schooling, all the Grade 7 learners at Vuleka must attend a farewell event and many other events during the year, and Sibusiso loved going to every single one of them. Vuleka is a school that I highly recommend and I also wish that my 3 year old little brother can come to Vuleka one day, so that he can also develop both mentally and physically, just like me, said Sibusiso. I will miss my School very much! he added.

My 4th birthday Tlangelani Nkuna's 4th birthday party was one major event in her life and it was all thanks to her mom, Karen, and her sister, Melanie, for making it a truly special birthday. Tlangelani woke up at her usual time for school that morning, but this time, something remarkable happened, when she opened her eyes; she saw that her mom and her sister were sitting on her bed, while waiting for her to open her eyes, and then started singing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU" Tlangelani was surprised and thought that she was dreaming, "This is going to be a beautiful morning," she whispered to herself. Tlangelanis mom went into the kitchen and fetched the big birthday cake, "WOW! yelled Tlangelani, when she saw the cake. "It's my favorite character, DORA," she said.

She quickly jumped out of bed and gave her mom and her sister, big hugs and kisses, before getting ready for school. She asked her mom if she would bring the cake to her crche, for her teacher, Francinah, and her best friend, Shaydene, to see. Certainly, her mom agreed; she took the cake to Tlangis crche that morning, as well as party packs and juice for all the children. Tlangelani loves her mom very much because she takes good care of her and always buys the nicest things for her. All the other kids in her classroom loved her "DORA themed birthday cake with the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY TLANGELANI 4 YEARS," written on it. Her teacher, Francinah, shared some of the cake with the other teachers because it was so big, and all her friends sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her and thanked her for a wonderful birthday. This made Tlangelani feel very special and loved.

After school, her big sister, Melanie, fetched her from crche and took her for lunch at THE GLEN SHOPPING MALL. Tlangelani ordered her favorite meal; a plate of ribs, and while they were enjoying their meal, a group of people came over to their table with starlight fireworks in their hands and singing "Happy Birthday." She realized that it was all for her; it was the staff that worked at the restaurant and her sister put them up to it! Tlangelani looked at her sister and gave her a warm smile to show her appreciation. Tlangelani's mom had another surprise for her, on Sunday; she bought another cake, for her to take with to church. When they got to church, they showed the cake to Pastor Khosi, who seemed to enjoy the cream just as much as Tlangelani. Some of Tlangelani's friends were also there; among them were Oratwa, and Tlangi from Mama Khubayi.

Tlangelani's mom brought lots of presents and party packs for all the children at the church; she is a very caring and special lady who loves her daughter very much. Pastor Khosi said a special prayer for Tlangelani, the Fire of the Holy Ghost, during the church service. Tlangelani's mom bought a beautiful pink bicycle for her and it was exactly what she wanted for her birthday. Everything was going well, apart from her dad, Chance, not being there. This made her feel a bit sad and she wished that he were there. But her dad lives in Giyani and it is very far from them.

My Holiday at ZEBULA, BELABELA (Limpopo) Tlangelani Nkuna's first holiday experience was at a place called Zebula in Limpopo. She was only four years old, when she and her mom, Karen, her dad, Chance, and her sister, Melanie, went on a holiday to Limpopo in September 2012. Tlangelani and her family attended an early morning church service, on the day that they left for Limpopo. Her mom, Karen, packed enough food for their trip and her sister, Melanie, drove them to Limpopo. When they arrived, Tlangelani jumped out of the car and ran to her dad who was standing right outside a very big house. He was waiting for them to arrive. They all went inside the house; it had a flight of stairs that went up to the second floor, into a room with sofas and a small bed. There were also countless toilets and a very large kitchen. Outside, there was a swimming pool, relaxing chairs and a Braai stand for their meat.

Tlangelani immediately felt hungry and her little stomach began making very loud noises. When her mom and dad heard these loud noises coming from her stomach, they immediately took her and Melanie to a restaurant and bought food. They sat down, at a nice looking table that had a candle in the center, and ate their food. Tlangelani and Melanie ordered wors, chicken, beef and chips; apparently they were very hungry. When they got back to the big house, they were all tired and went straight to bed. Tlangelani slept with Melanie in the room upstairs, but Melanie did not like this room one bit because it had no bed. All it had was a couch. In the middle of the night, while Melanie was fast asleep on the couch, Tlangelani woke up and tiptoed down the stairs and snuck in to bed with her parents; their room had a bed and a tub as big as a swimming pool.

Her parents were surprised to find her sleeping in their bed when they woke up in the morning. They laughed, because they did not even hear her come in. At breakfast, Tlangis mom served her family some of the food that she had brought from home. They all went on a game drive afterwards, and saw elephants, birds, rhino, leopards and warthogs. They played with the elephants; one of the elephants picked up their moms shoe and gave it back to her, and Tlangelani was very impressed. Another elephant splashed water all over them after the rangers made him drink lots of water from a bucket; it was really fun. The next day, Tlangelani's mom went to play with the lion cubs, but Tlangelani and her sister were too scared to get inside the cage with her. They went to look at the big, python snakes inside the glass instead. After seeing all the frightening animals, they all went back to the big house for a swim and to relax on the chairs.

Melanie noticed that there was a door which she hadnt noticed earlier. She showed it to her mom, who then asked the owner of the big house for the keys to the door. When they opened the door, they saw a very nice bedroom with a bed and a tub. I will sleep in here! shouted Melanie. Tlangelanis dad made a Braai for everyone that evening, Melanie cooked pap and made a lovely salad and Tlangelani ate, ate and ate! Tlangelani said that the whole experience left her feeling excited and she plans to visit Zebula again soon. Her dad's Braai was unforgettable and her encounter with the elephants was an awesome experience for her. Her mom bought her a small, elephant teddy bear, as a souvenir of this amazing holiday.

My Second Holiday "Kruger National Park" One day in April 2013, Tlangelani Nkuna went to visiting her grandmother, Kokwani Macaroni, in Giyani. While she was visiting Giyani, Tlangelani and her mom slept over at her dad's house. When they woke up in the morning, Tlangelanis dad said "We are going on a road trip, to the Kruger National Park today Tlangi." Tlangelani was very excited to hear the good news. Her mom packed everything they needed for the trip and they all hopped into the car and drove off. Tlangelani's dad drives super fast; she thought that they would get there in 10 minutes. Along the way, they made a stop at a shop and bought meat, chips, sweets, juice and water for the long trip. Tlangelani realized that Kruger National Park was nowhere nearby. When they finally arrived at Kruger National Park, Tlangelani's mom told her that she would spot some animals.

They drove very slowly in the hopes of spotting the animals, "There are no animals here!" Tlangelani complained. Then, suddenly, right before her eyes, Tlangelani saw a herd of Impalas! "Wow they look so cute," she shouted. Then she spotted another herd, but this time it was elephants that she saw. "We are sleeping here tonight," her dad said, before rushing off to the shops to buy wood for the fire. Tlangelani and her mom stayed at the house and packed all their clothes, and prepared the food. When her dad returned with the wood, he went outside to make a fire for the braai. Tlangi helped her mom to prepare the salad for dinner and then went outside to help her dad with the braai. They prepared wors, chicken, beef and lamb, and when the food was ready; they all sat at the table and enjoyed their meal. After dinner, Tlangelani and her mom took a shower and went to bed. The bedroom had three beds and Tlangelani slept in the middle one.

The next morning, Tlangelani and her family woke up very early and hopped into the car; they were still in their pajamas and hadnt showered. They were rushing to see the lions at sunrise. But on their way to see the lions, they noticed that some cars on the road that had suddenly stopped; it appeared that two lions were lying in the middle of the road and would not move. Tlangelani was very scared; she looked away and closed her eyes. Her dad turned the car around and quickly drove back to the big house. This time, Tlangelani saw many giraffes and elephants. Back at the big house, Tlangelani's mom helped her to wash her face and brush her teeth, and then they all sat down at the table and had breakfast. After breakfast, Tlangelani's mom packed their belongings and it was time for them to go back home. On the way, Tlangi needed to go to the bathroom quickly, but she realized that they were still travelling on the long road.

She asked her dad to stop the car next to a house along the road; the house sold food, clothes and many tourist stuff. Tangelani jumped out of the car and ran inside the big house. Her mom and dad decided to buy food while they were there; they were all very hungry. This was an amazing place; it had a river, mountains and animals that were drinking water from the river. While they were eating breakfast, they heard a loud noise coming from across the river. Everyone got up to see where the noise was coming from, and soon realized that the noise was coming from a very big hippopotamus. Tlangelani was relieved that it was only a hippo.

After eating their breakfast, they all got back in their car and drove off. Tlangelani could not wait to get back home and wear the new skirt and t-shirt that her mom had bought for her. Her mom also bought a bangle of beads, as a present, for Pastor Khosi. When they got back home, Tlangelani said to her mom and dad, "I love Kruger National Park and all the animals very much!" This was a wild but fun experience for Tlangi and her family.