From the streets of Lüderitz to a life of purpose

Ndapandula Vanyika

Ndeshipanda Akwenye (35) was born and raised in Lüderitz where he was addicted to smoking cigarettes and eventually started smoking cannabis. Before overcoming the challenge, he fought a 15-year battle of addiction.

He is now a great rugby player and was selected for the Craven week team starting lineup wearing the Number 7 jersey, suddenly, he became recognised and known as a young sport man.

Akwenye said there was a time he made the biggest mistake of his life, when he experimented with crack cocaine, which he thought will be just a moment of experimentation, but led to a bad addiction.

“The addiction did not only affect me, but it took my family, my wife and my friends through hell,” said Akwenye.