PeacePlayers South Africa Storybook FINAL - Flipbook - Page 86
While at Sparks Estate, Bena rarely had the money for lunch and often went throughout the day not eating. His
parents made enormous sacrifices for him, and he wouldn't dare burden them with complaints. On some nights,
Bena says, “I’d come home from school with no food on the table, so I played basketball at Albert Park until the
court's lights went out to sweat the hunger away.” Elize and Bena grew accustomed to not eating sometimes
because, as Bena states, “there was more to worry about than eating - we wanted a better life for ourselves, and
complaints didn't solve anything. If we had food, we were happy; if not, it's all good.” Their parents went from job
to job to do what they had to do. Therefore, working hard, watching basketball, shooting videos on YouTube, and
getting good enough to play with his DHS mentors was the only goal on his mind.
The love for basketball grew deeper as Bena battled it out on the pavement at Albert Park while playing for a local
community team with PeacePlayers. Bena credits PeacePlayers coaches Mandla Sibulawa and Thobani Khumalo
for playing a big role on his PeacePlayers journey. Mandla used to give basketball tips around Bena's shot and
provide shoes and shirts when he had the means to support them. Thobani Khumalo always came to the park to
make sure the guys were improving on their games. One day, Thobani came to Albert Park and provided some great
news to Bena.
Northwood High School wanted him to come to play basketball on a full scholarship! Northwood is a semi-private
school in Durban North which is rated one of the best schools in the country. Northwood is a competitor of DHS in
sports and academics. He didn’t have to apply, the coaches knew who he was, how we played, and they understood
the value he could add to their current team.
Bena moved on to Northwood in January 2020, just before COVID made its mark on the world. As a Grade 11
learner new to the environment at Northwood, it was a change of pace adapting to Northwood and calling his
elders "sir/mam." During his first game at Northwood, it was clear that the best player on the court was Bena. Bena
scored a whopping 38 points against Hilton, despite his team losing by one point. His leadership throughout this
game was also indicative in their short 7-game season, where they won 4 games and lost 3.
Bena's dad passed away in March of 2020 - never getting the opportunity to see his son play in his new Northwood
kit (uniform). Although his dad never saw him play at Northwood, he was always proud of him, and he was
ultimately the bridge that led Bena to be in that position, in South Africa, and with a more positive image of how
bright his future would be.
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PEACEPLAYERS SOUTH AFRICA STORYBOOK
