Break The Cycle

By Unathi Monkoe

Unathi Monkoe was born and bred in the rural Eastern Cape of South Africa. In this book she follows the lives of young children who, just like many other black children in the rural areas, suffered most of the social ills black children are enduring. The book Break the Cycle, aims to bring social ills to the surface in an attempt to break the negative cycles so that they do not continue to the next generation. She believes that each generation has a mandate, to lay the foundation for the next generation so that the negative cycles do not continue from one generation to the next.
“This is an interesting and thought-provoking piece of work which succeeds in highlighting many of the common problems associated with the rural people. It gives some really good advice on securing a better future for all.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Unathi Monkoe
• Release date: Jan 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9780620730082

Book preview

BREAK THE CYCLE

BREAK THE CYCLE

UNATHI MONKOE

Copyright © 2016 Unathi Monkoe

Published by Unathi Monkoe Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Author using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Printed and bound by Mega Digital Printers

Edited by Noreen Thomson for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Contents

Foreword

Part One

Rejection

Poverty

Sibling Rivalry

Competition

Peer Pressure

Teenage Pregnancy

Campus Life

Death

Child-Headed Households

The University of Life

Part Two

Forgiveness

Turning Point

Change the Gears

#BreakTheCycle

Acknowledgements

Foreword

A few years ago, I was hospitalised and it was during that period that I had an amazing dream. I was led to believe that the road to heaven was open and decided to investigate. I wanted to confirm that the road existed, have a look at heaven, and return to earth. It felt as if I was going to view heaven in a similar manner to viewing a house for sale and deciding whether it appealed to me or not. If it should be to my liking, I would sign the offer to purchase contract and move in. It felt exactly like that, as if I was going to view heaven, decide if I liked it, then return to supposedly fetch my belongings here on earth. As ironic as that sounds, there I went.

As I walked along, I came across many people, all moving in the same direction. Some carried furniture whilst others carried luggage. Some were driving cars, horse carts or donkey carts. Boats and yachts were being towed or carried, besides a variety of personal possessions.

I then approached a Y- intersection and, just as I had read in children’s Bible stories, the one road was wide and the other one narrow. On the wide road, there were no restrictions. It was an ‘anything-goes’ kind of road. On the other road however, only people were allowed, no possessions of any kind. To those people though, it seemed as if both roads were leading to the same destination. Because I had read stories in the children’s Bible that the narrow road leads to heaven, I took that one. Many people who were obsessed with their worldly acquisitions took the wide road in the hopes that it also lead to heaven. Some people who brought their belongings along decided to take the narrow road after all, and dumped their luggage at the intersection.

As I walked, the road became narrower, steeper and misty with very few people in sight. I met people coming back - some I knew, others were strangers. I asked one old acquaintance, Why are you coming back? She told me that she had been walking for so long on a steep hill and was too exhausted to continue. I remembered a Scripture in Matthew 7:13 NIV that says, Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it so I continued to walk. I lost track of time: there was no dawn, morning, evening, dusk, night or day, just a light white mist. I came across some stalls with the most beautiful gold ornaments I had ever seen. I wanted to buy something, but decided against it, as I didn’t know how long my journey would be. I continued to walk and the further I progressed, the more aware I became that each