The first day of class — being welcomed by the teacher and sitting next to people you don’t even know — can be really scary, but at the same time, exciting. That’s exactly how I felt. Even as a little girl, I knew from that day that this would be a journey of self-discovery, a journey of learning and making new friends. And so it began.
Every day, I would wake up with a mind ready to learn and a heart open to making connections. That mindset kept me going, even on rough days when other children would say hurtful things about my body. But I didn’t care. I was determined to learn, to discover who I was, and to be the best Yamihle I could ever be.
I passed Grade R and moved on. The dream was still alive. I had the drive, the passion, the hope. But then, in Grade 2, everything changed.
I was bullied.
Every single day, children made fun of my body. They told me I was overweight and needed to lose fat. I would cry because deep down, I believed they were right — even though God made me in His image. To make it worse, my family also made similar comments, and the bullying felt never-ending.
To this day, I still don’t fully understand how I made it through the Foundation Phase. But that’s just how God works — His ways are beyond understanding.
By the time I reached Grade 4, I had lost all ambition. No dreams, no goals — I just wanted to survive primary school.
Let me say this in big, bold letters: THE BULLYING GOT WORSE.
Even teachers began to make comments about my body, telling me I needed to lose weight. I would cry, scream, and ask the Lord, "Why did You make me like this?" I believed the only way to be beautiful, the only way to be accepted, was to be petite.
So I tried.
I stopped eating. I did extreme exercises. I focused all my energy on trying to lose weight. I just wanted to be accepted — by my teachers, by other learners, by my family, by society.
But when God says no, He means no.
Nothing worked. I started losing myself. My academics dropped drastically. And then came Grade 7 — the year everything changed.
I finally realized: It’s not worth it.
I am God's creation. And whatever God creates is beautiful.
I told myself: No more!
I decided to love myself, to accept myself, and to stop caring about what others thought of me. I apologized to God for ever doubting His design. I forgave everyone who bullied me. And then — I poured my heart into loving and caring for me.
Guess what?
My academics improved. In fact, I became the top academic achiever in my school. I received a trophy and a R50 note from the principal as a reward for my performance.
That day taught me something powerful:
Loving yourself, taking care of yourself, and trusting the Lord — those are the things that truly matter.
There is no need to live by what society says.
You only have one life.
Live it wisely.
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