My name is Kaydin Vanere, I was born on the 15 of October 2009. My family and I lived in Klipspruit Ext 10. My brother and I loved playing soccer outside in the yard. My mother was always in the kitchen baking or cooking that's her favourite things to do. My dad was always fixing things around the house, I remember mom saying we so lucky to have our own handyman.

When I was about five years old sadly our family home in Ext 10 Klipspruit burned down with all our valuables, everything we owned burnt to ashes that was one of the saddest days for my family.

We now live next to my grandmother in Kliptown. This was a big adjustment for all of us, my brother couldn't sleep at night because his favourite teddy burnt that day, so most of the night he would cry. My mom and dad were sad too, but eventually we all settled in and we much happier.

I turned 6 and everyday I cried when my mom dropped me off at crèche, going to crèche wasn't one of my favourite things to do because they made me read and reading wasn't much fun for me. I couldn't wait to start school.

Finally my first day at school, I was super excited, little did I know that I would do a whole lot more reading. I dreaded going to school because the other kids would laugh at me when I read, I really struggled.

My mom enrolled me at a centre called GIVERS. Everyday after school I would go there. The teachers at this centre were the most helpful, caring people I've ever met. They helped me with my homework daily and they taught me how to read, I never thought I would ever enjoy reading until the teachers at the centre helped me and showed me that reading could be fun.

Reading now is one of my favourite things to do. I'm no longer shy to read in class at school, the other kids no longer laugh at me. Learning is fun.

The centre also has many other programmes that they run and one of them is called Simunye College. Simunye College had a competition for a book fest, each one of us had to write our very own story. I took part in the competition, sadly I never won. A girl from the centre by the Faith won the competition.

Our teachers at the centre told us that no matter what we are all winners. They also said that we should never give up, to always try our best in whatever we do. Even though I never won the competition it motivated me to continue reading and trying even harder at writing.

Simunye College and the teachers at the centre taught us a lot and personally they helped me a whole lot, without them I would never have written my very own story. I would like to say thank you to all the teachers at the centre for teaching us how to write our own stories.

I really like writing now and writing my own stories is so much fun. As soon as I complete school I would love to pursue my dream and become a successful writer all thanks to my teachers at the centre and Simunye College.