MZIZI DEFIES THE ODDS BY PASSING MATRIC WITH FLYING COLOURS

By Lorato Modisenyane

• Lindiwe Mzizi, an 18-year-old from Sebokeng, overcame early orphanhood and hardship to achieve a Bachelor Pass in the 2025 matric examinations.
• Supported by her grandmother, Four Steps NPO and the Gauteng Department of Social Development, she received psychosocial support and access to essential services.
• Despite financial challenges and a life-altering injury, Mzizi remained determined to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.

Having lost both her parents at the age of seven, Lindiwe Mzizi’s childhood was marked by grief and hardship. Fostered by her maternal grandmother, she grew up in difficult circumstances that included financial strain and emotional challenges. Yet, at just 18 years old, she has defied the odds by passing her matric examinations with a Bachelor Pass distinction.
Mzizi, a 2025 matriculant from Tshepo Themba High School in Sebokeng in the Southern Corridor, was identified by Four Steps, a non-profit organisation funded by the Gauteng Department of Social Development, during a door-to-door outreach campaign in Eaton, Sebokeng.
Despite surviving on her grandmother’s old age grant and a foster care grant, Mzizi remained committed to her education. With the continued support of her grandmother, Four Steps and the Department of Social Development, she received psychosocial support, referrals to essential services and guidance through social behavioural change programmes.
Busisiwe Mzotho, Programme Manager at Four Steps, said Mzizi had always demonstrated resilience and discipline.
“We have never had any challenges with Mzizi. She has always been a well-behaved child and we are not surprised that she did so well in matric, even after she suffered an accident at school that left her partially disabled,” said Mzotho. “That incident was the turning point of her life and she handled it with so much grace. It did not deter her, instead it pushed her to work very hard in school.”
Mzizi reflected on her journey and the sacrifices made along the way.
“Passing my matric is not just an academic achievement for me, it is proof that hard work and determination pays off, and that all the sleepless nights of studying, walking long distances to school when transport was not available and sometimes studying by candlelight when we did not have electricity was not all for nothing. More than anything, I did this for my grandmother,” she said.
She added that the joy she saw in her grandmother’s reaction made the achievement even more meaningful.
“The smile on my grandmother’s face when I told her my results is something I will never forget and I intend to make her prouder by realising my dream of becoming a teacher,” she said.
Mzizi has applied to study teaching at the Vaal University of Technology in Vanderbijlpark. Teaching has long been her aspiration, inspired by her love for children and her desire to give back to the community that supported her.
Her story stands as a powerful testament to resilience, determination and the transformative impact of coordinated social support services in empowering vulnerable children to build brighter futures.