Rose of Soweto

Separated from his mother at birth and raised in the poorest part of Soweto at the height of Apartheid, few gave Dingaan Thobela great odds at achieving success. Having to wear a multi-coloured jersey made from off-cuts of material, the skinny barefoot boy walking the dusty streets of Soweto had little to call his own, but enveloped by the love of his grandmother and embraced by the belief placed in him, he refused to give up hope of a better future. Instead he held onto his dreams and proved that, no matter where you come from, no matter what circumstance you are born into, if you remain true and persevere, you can succeed. Dingaan, which means king in Zulu, went on to make world boxing history and in the process became an icon and symbol of hope for a nation in the grips of change. Adversity followed however and he was tasked to pick it all up again and rise from the ashes of disparity. Life is not an easy road, but true life stories like those of "The Rose of Soweto" show us that good guys can win and that to be successful, we need to put ourselves out there and take hold of the opportunities presented. You can be all you want to be, even if the odds are against you. For it is in the darkest hours that the smallest light shines the brightest.