When you are older than some it automatically means you are a role model, whether you like it or not.
At 43, I'm being called a malume in our culture. It's a sign of maturity and respect and means I must be very, very careful of what I do and say in front of children.
I'm one of those very fortunate personalities who grew up in a very friendly, conducive environment surrounded by my extended family and relatives. When I went to a boarding school, my neighbours were my parents and they still adore and admire me to this day.
Kids are like a mirror if not a carbon paper as they copy whatever we do, whether influential, encouraging or not. As parents we have got to always display a positive influence, not sometimes but all the time.
I never saw my parents yelling, screaming, shouting and fighting in front of us. Not that they were perfect but they respected us.
McDivett Tshehla, Halfway House
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