Silindile Phakathi is a 21-year-old trainee from Johannesburg, South Africa who comes from an impoverished background. She lives with her large extended family in an overcrowded township. Although accepted to university, she could not afford to attend. After struggling to find work for years, she was hired by Design of Europe through a partnership with a nonprofit. While nervous at first to work with more experienced colleagues, Silindile has made remarkable progress. She is now the sole supporter of her family and continuing her education in business management. Her goal is to one day manage her own Design of Europe store.

1. The story of Silindile Phakathi
Silindile Phakathi is one of our trainees at Design of Europe. Please read her story, where there is
hope there is strength.
Silindile is 21 years old and comes from a very poor family in a township named Katlehong close to
Johannesburg, South Africa. There are around 350 000 people living in Katlehong and the area is
severe overcrowded. ln Silindile’s family there are 23 people, her mum and dad have 10 children, 5
of each. Uncles and aunties and some of their children live as weIl under the same roof. Silindile has
gone to school in total three years. After graduation Silindile applied for an University education. She
was accepted but forced to say no to her seat at the University because neither she nor her family
had money to pay for the education. Silindile was home for a couple of years, looking for a job but
without results. According to Silindile employment on nearly whatever company is a “once in a life
opportunity” for people living in her township. ln Silindiles neighborhood it is generally known that
no one wants to focus on young qualifications without or with little experience. Due to distress,
frustration and fading hope she started to cut herself, she even tried to commit suicide once. Sadly,
this is not uncommon in her neighborhood, many of Silindiles friends have ended their young lives
this way. Many young females start to sell themselves in an attempt to economically support their
families. According to Silindile it comes to a point when there is no other choice but to go in to
prostitution. Without an employment this would eventually be the living for Silindile as weil. Of
course, this leads to a high density of HIV and Aids in this area, especially among females.
The school Silindile went to has a partnership with a nonprofit organization named Star for Life.
During the spring of 2012 some persons from Star for Life came to her school and expialned that Star
for Life had started a partnership with a retail company named Design of Europe and that this
company attempted to employ some students and newly graduated students from her school.
Many students, together with Silindile applied for employment. Silindile was one of few students that
passed all the interviews and got an employment at Design of Europe. When Silindile started working
at Design of Europe she was very nervous and felt that she did not belong to the Design of Europe-
team because there were so many persons in the team with skills and experience. However, she
knew this employment was a life time opportunity and she pushed herseif to squeeze in. Today, it is
a fact that the progress of Silindile is breath taking!
Silindile’s story tells us that not many students at her school and in her neighborhood see a future
after graduation. There are no job opportunities and with no money there is no opportunity to
continue study. Silindile is the only one in her family who is working at the moment. Now she is
supporting her family, working and studying Business Management. Silindile is starting to see her
future within Design of Europe but above all she is starting to see the future and possibilities in life.
One day Silindile wants to be a manager and perhaps manage her own store — we can only hope it is
a Design of Europe store!
Silindile ends her story by saying that she is now giving her all to Design of Europe, and that she
won’t let down. We humbiy listen to her words and respectfully wish her luck within our team and
in the rest of her life.