This bubbly, confident and energetic Grade 7 pupil, born in George and raised by her grandparents La and Margaret Mfundisa, is one of just 60 girls out of 6 000 applicants to be accepted as a full-time student at OWLAG.
At the Heidedal prize giving last week Thursday, Lihle received three trophies: Best Student, Best in English and the Technology trophy; the mayor's prize and the headmaster's prize as well as nine certificates, but her very special award was a hug from her grandparents. "They are everything to me and have made my dream theirs. When I went to Port Elizabeth for the first interview my grandfather had to fight with the taxi driver who had left without us."
Mfundisa recalls, "On that day Lihle and I were shattered as I saw her dreams disappearing even before the journey began. I begged, pleaded and spoke in a raised voice to the taxi owner to take us to Sedgefield where he had told his vehicle to wait for us. I aged that day and was already blaming myself for the pending disaster, but we made it."
When asked how she felt now that it is all systems go for Lihle, her grandmother said, "I am bursting with pride. It has been a very daunting experience. The social worker from OWLAG spent seven hours at our home in Thembalethu interviewing us."
Clifford Carolus, headmaster of Heidedal Primary, said Lihle was one of 6 000 applicants. "From the minute she handed in her application form I knew she would be successful."
Lihle said according to the letter the school will be contacting her soon to finalise travel arrangements for next year. "Maybe I will be a surgeon one day."
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Lihle (middle) holding her acceptance letter from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy with her grandparents Margaret and La Mfundisa.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: MYRON RABINOWITZ, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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