By Wendy Dondolo
Born into the vibrant but challenging streets of Woodstock, Cape Town, and raised in the diverse neighbourhoods of Athlone and Silver Town, Clint’s journey is a testament to human resilience and the power of redemption.
At a young age, he moved to Retreat to live with his mother, a devout Christian who instilled in him the values of kindness and service by often prioritising the needs of the homeless over their own.
“My mom would invite homeless people into our home and serve them before us. I didn’t understand it then, but those actions planted seeds of empathy in me,” Clint recalls.
Despite the values taught by his mother, Clint faced a tumultuous path.
After meeting his father at ten, he felt a profound sense of abandonment when his father disappeared soon after, leaving Clint in a whirlpool of confusion and disillusionment.
As an adult, dreams of becoming a manager faded away when he lost his job and succumbed to drug addiction.
“The nightlife and music scenes where I worked were exhilarating, yet exhausting,” Clint shares sombrely.
“A friend introduced me to crystal meth to keep up with the demanding job. If only I had known the destruction it would bring.”
His addiction spiralled, leading to two years of homelessness — a period marked by fear, loneliness, and an eventual suicide attempt.
The turning point came unexpectedly. A homeless couple handed Clint a U-turn voucher, a lifeline he initially dismissed.
“I stuffed it in my pocket, not ready to change. But desperation and a sense of nothing left to lose led me back to it,” he said.
The U-turn program became his sanctuary.
“It was more than just recovery; it was about finding peace and rediscovering myself. The program helped me build the foundations I never had growing up,” Clint reflects.
Today, Clint uses his experiences to help others, sharing his story to inspire those battling similar demons.
“It’s about laying a new foundation, one day at a time. And this time, I am building on solid ground,” he concludes.
IOL