I was 10 years old when my parents divorced. We lived with my Gran – suddenly, my home, my family, and my friends were taken from me. My parents shared me for sometime, but it was very strange and difficult to comprehend at that age. I loved them both dearly, but soon made a decision to move back to my Granny. She was home for me for a long time. That role change empowered me, and I no longer felt split, as I had my Home... and my best friends, my school and all the things necessary to give me stability. At 19 I wanted to DJ. There weren't many prospects to study further so I fell into music. By pure serendipity, I won a substantial load of sound equipment. But I wasn't good enough as a DJ to make the best of it. I met Ben, through a friend of a friend, he taught me so much in the industry. We travelled together for a while to the same gigs, he would drop me on the opposite end of town. After some time, he asked me to move in with his family, as my Gran had passed. He pushed me into things I never thought I would do. I became more caring about others around me, because he kept showing me that just a small token can mean so much to someone else. He motivated me to study further, which I did. I completed a 3 year college certificate in Hospitality because of him. I am now an entrepreneur; I have my own Handy-Man business, and the Hospitality course may sound so far off, but it helped me so much in changing my behaviours to become Client-Centric. Ben has inspired me to the extent that I want to be involved with his Foundation and the youngsters he continues to guide. I mentor others and take boys on hiking trips or soccer outings, getting involved in many aspects of the Ben Your Friend Youth Foundation. Its all a lot of fun, but it is the stuff that makes me feel like I'm able to pay it forward as a man. The man I have become is largely because of Ben – I will be 30 soon, so he has been my mentor for 10 years now. I am very grateful. And I do believe that it takes a village to make man now, as much as I love my parents, I was left to my own devices."
Story of a young man