Just under a year ago, a very different and shy Hlengiwe entered the newly opened Durban Self-Reliance Centre: “I wasn’t confident and positively communicating about myself was difficult. I didn’t know how to go about looking for a job. I then attended one of the very first “My Path” Devotionals and chose to join the 12 week Job Search Group. I began my Action Plan: I needed to improve my communication skills, develop my “Me in 30 Seconds” and “Power Statements” and redo my CV to reflect what I could offer to an employer. I then became successful in getting interviews and assessments. I was invited to 3 interviews and chose FNB bank as the best option because I had studied finance and accounting and felt it was where I could grow. I’m already in the process – just this morning I have done another exam with the bank.'
Hlengiwe has grown more than she could have imagined. She is much more independent, now able to pay tithing, has her own accommodation in Stanger where she works, and is able to save. It was very hard to leave Durban and her friends but she felt that in order to grow she had to move to a different place. She feels she has adjusted pretty well. She appreciates that Heavenly Father has provided for her spiritually and temporarily but “only after a lot of hard effort on my part”. She says: “I always made sure I was at work on time and that I never stopped learning - so that when opportunities come I can be considered for better positions. My progress continues because I am doing another course in teaching which will lead to a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Eventually I want to become a teacher of accounting.'
Recently Hlengiwe was called to serve as the Branch Self-Reliance Specialist. “I feel great about this because I have tasted the results of being in the Self-Reliance process. I have a testimony and I want to encourage more people to become self-reliant. That is my dream - for everyone to become self-reliant. I know by experience that when you are self-reliant you are also very happy because you can provide for yourself. It makes me feel good! Never stop and never give up because when we learn, we get more opportunities to improve our lives and become better people. I’m glad I came here because this is where it all began for me. I don’t know where I would be in my life if I hadn’t.'