Migrant Stories

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Name	Godfrey
Gender	male
Country of Origin	Zimbabwe
Destination Country	South Africa

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I was born in Zimbabwe and migrated to South Africa over 17 years ago in search of greener pastures and a better life. It was not easy to abandon family ties, familiar hills, child-hood valleys and adjust to a new environment, strange surroundings and intimidating streets full of bright lights. Almost everyone I met treated me with a sense of suspicion. They did not trust me because I spoke a different language and carried a somewhat heavy accent in their opinion. I was written stranger, foreigner, alien and migrant all over my forehead. Against all odds, I made a conscious decision to defy the usual and challenge stereotypes. I made it my personal mission to demonstrate that migrants are not just takers but givers too. They equally add value to their host country and warmth to their new home. Today, I run successful businesses that have created employment opportunities for over 100 South Africans. We produce and distribute thousands of life coaching and inspirational audio recordings on a monthly basis. These programmes help inspire the youth to focus on their dreams, unite broken families and assist fading organisations prosper. I also run mentorship programmes meant to lead, guide and support University students living in a country that has a huge dropout rate. I am a regular contributor for various newspapers and magazines and this gives me an opportunity to share my ideas and experiences. I have spoken on various conferences and seminars all over the world because I believe in the idea of global citizenship where people are allowed to live beyond their borders. Let us embrace diversity, celebrate our differences, promote a cosmopolitan society and eradicate xenophobia. Godfrey has also published an anthology of Letters and Poetry: http://the-passport.com

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