By Philimon Munangati
Denzil Lwazi Setheni is the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) at Cosmo City Secondary 1. He is also the founder of a non-profit making organisation called Lentswe Foundation.
He grew up without a father and an unemployed mother. He is the last born in his family. His family has been through a lot. “My brother, who is the first born in the family, was once arrested, my sister fell pregnant while she was studying at university, no one in the family ever says it, but I do get the sense that I am the last hope,” he said.
“Grade 10 was my wake up call, when my marks were not so great but I made it through to the next grade. It became clear for me and I realised that nothing in life is hard until you tell yourself it is. In Grade 11, I took a stand and changed my mindset, and that changed me as a person. I was able to improve my marks and became an ‘A’ student.
“Hard work beats talent because talent doesn’t work hard,” is his favourite quote because he feels it is relevant in his circumstances. “I want to do more for other people and the community as a whole. The main aim of Lentswe Foundation is to take the youth and involve them in activities so that they learn leadership skills and be responsible adults in the future,” he added.
He tutors Mathematics to other grades. “I do this so that I can share what I have learnt. I am all about helping others realise their purpose in life. I did not set out to be a leader, but I became one through my actions,” he concluded.
