Shalitha Govender

As a little girl like many others, my main dream was to own a beautiful little home with a white picket fence, a little garden and a swimming pool. At this point we had lived with my grandparents and in those days all families lived together. My dad was the eldest son and we were six children, three boys and three of us girls, our family which compromised of eight of us including my parents were allocated one bedroom. We were very poor and our room was divided with furniture that separated my parents from my brothers and sisters while I was allocated a cot that was put next to my parents bed since I was the youngest of my siblings. Till I was six years old I had to crouch and sleep in this cot as there was no other place for me. When my grand dad passed on the home was then given to my dad whom was the most humble person that I have ever known, my dad being the eldest felt he will find his way in life and handed the house over to his two younger brothers whom to this day still reside in this home. This was 32 years ago, my parents had applied for a Council house which was granted in Phoenix, this was such joy for us and it felt like a mansion after living in one bedroom for many years. We moved out of my grandparents home with only a bedroom set, from then our life had been a constant struggle. When I turned 18 I had met my husband, we married when I turned nineteen. My dream of my little home was still unfulfilled.