Stories
When we share our stories, understanding, empathy and trust grow. Our relationships improve and we get a stronger sense of community. At Heartlines, we’ve seen how story-sharing has impacted and connected thousands of people beyond anything we could have imagined. Here are some of those stories.
Do you have a story that everyone needs to hear? We want to hear it! Share your story here.
All stories
I did not think of it as prostitution
Growing up, Hilda’s family struggled financially, but when she fell pregnant in high school, things became harder. After dropping out of school, she decided to become a sex worker to provide for her family.
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They called me the little bastard
Blackie’s identity has been questioned from the moment he was born. He was born to white parents in apartheid South Africa, but he appeared coloured. His appearance made him a target for ridicule and cruelty.
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My mother made it look easy
Many of us grow up thinking our mothers are supermoms, but it’s only when you become a parent yourself that you begin to really understand the sacrifices that make mothers real-life heroes.
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Motherhood brought me home
Motherhood brought with it a gift of love, but it also brought Morongoa necessary, tough lessons about life. When she became a mother, she began to understand her mother’s perspective. Read more about Motherhood brought me home
Pregnant at 17: All I wanted was to be free
Falling pregnant at age seventeen seemed to be the end of Nontokozo’s world. Her dreams had to be put on hold, and a degree seemed like a distant possibility. Read more about Pregnant at 17: All I wanted was to be free
One can be free and still be a slave
Moss Ntlha reflects on life as an unfree person under the oppressive system of apartheid. He also offers encouragement for how to live fully as a free person in a democratic South Africa.
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I lost my daughter to cancer
Dear O, I miss you dearly, it’s been a while but I will be fine. Days are getting better, and everyone is doing just fine. Mommy is imagining a 20-year old you, in varsity and living your fullest life.
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Mitchells Plain exposed me to gangsterism
A potentially fatal eye operation and growing up in a community often notorious for drugs and gangsterism could not stop Lance from achieving his goals. Read more about Mitchells Plain exposed me to gangsterism
I took his shame and made it my identity
The sexual abuse Connie endured while her family lived in a squatter camp was the beginning of a tough road that would include anorexia, drugs, abuse, infidelity, prostitution and her daughter’s suicide. Against all odds, Connie triumphed.
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I lost a loved one to domestic violence
Losing a loved one to domestic violence impacted Tebogo in a profound way. But then a trending hashtag #menaretrash, and a conversation with his wife, shifted his mindset even further. Read more about I lost a loved one to domestic violence
I have been through all the cancer meds
Radiation, chemotherapy, a mastectomy - and medication for life. What more could one woman have to face? Nava shares her brave story of living with and battling cancer.
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