Thulaganyo Assegaai was born to her mother, Reginah Assegaai. When she was only one year old, her life took a different path. Because her mother struggled with alcoholism and could not properly take care of her, Thulaganyo was taken in by her grandmother’s sister, Elisa Ntehelang.

Elisa decided to raise Thulaganyo as her own child and took her to live with her in Pretoria. At the same time, Thulaganyo’s father, Charlie Ngogodo, was mostly absent from her life. His mother, Mamo Ngogodo, did not believe that Thulaganyo was truly her son’s daughter, which made things even more complicated.

In Pretoria, Elisa’s husband, France Mafona, became an important part of Thulaganyo’s life. Although he was not her biological father, he treated her with kindness and love. Through him, Thulaganyo experienced what it felt like to have a father who cared for her.

Even though her life began with uncertainty, Pretoria became the place where her childhood started to take shape.When Thulaganyo was still very young, Elisa did not really know how to take care of a child. She had never raised one before. Sometimes she dressed Thulaganyo in whatever clothes were available, whether they were meant for boys or girls.

Even at that young age, Thulaganyo had a strong personality. She was bold, very expressive, and often mischievous. She was the kind of child who was always curious, always moving, and rarely quiet.One day Thulaganyo went next door to play with her friends. She was still very young and didn’t think much about it. But when she returned home, Elisa was angry. Elisa believed children should not go to the streets without permission, and Thulaganyo was beaten for leaving the house without telling her.

Despite Elisa’s strictness, there were also small moments of care in the house. Every evening France Mafona would return home from work, often bringing chips for Thulaganyo. But Elisa would stop her from eating them immediately and insist that she first eat her proper meal.

Thulaganyo’s favourite meal was simple: pap with eggs. She ate it almost every night. As a child she refused to eat most other foods, so pap and eggs became the taste of her childhood.

After school, she enjoyed quiet moments watching cartoons. Sometimes she would ask France Mafona if she could borrow her his phone so she could play games on it. Those small routines became part of her everyday life growing up.On weekends, especially Friday nights, Thulaganyo would get excited. She could stay up late and watch movies without Elisa stopping her, since there was no school the next day.

She loved action movies, especially Chinese ones, and her favorite actor was Jackie Chan. One movie she never tired of was Romeo Must Die. Whenever it played, she would watch it again and again, losing track of time in the process.

Friday nights became a little adventure, and she usually fell asleep around midnight, dreaming of the action-packed worlds she had just watched.On Sundays, Thulaganyo would go to church with Elisa, leaving France at home to cook meals for them. When they returned, the food would be ready, and the family would sit down together.

At church, Thulaganyo’s energy couldn’t be contained. As service was about to end, she would dance freely, as if no one was watching. People often stared, but she didn’t care.

Elisa, however, was not amused. She would scold Thulaganyo and warn her that dancing like that was not proper in church. Even so, the little girl’s boldness could not be fully restrained.One day at school, Thulaganyo got into a fight with a friend. In the heat of the moment, she grabbed a bag and hit her friend with it. The girl fell to the ground and cried, while others watched in shock. Thulaganyo fought fiercely, moving with a boldness that some said was like a boy’s.

After school, Thulaganyo bought a watch. On the way home, she pretended to be Jackie Chan, holding the watch like it was a weapon and yelling “Ayala!” Her friends laughed at her antics.

One of them pointed at the watch and asked, still laughing, “Thulaganyo, what watch is that?” She just grinned, proud of her style and the show she had put on.

Every year on December 25, Thulaganyo would wake up feeling excited. Christmas was one of the few days she looked forward to the most. Elisa would spend time in the kitchen preparing special meals, filling the house with the smell of delicious food.

Unlike the usual simple meals, Christmas meant something different. The food was rich, warm, and special, and Thulaganyo could hardly wait to eat. She would sit eagerly, knowing that on this day she would enjoy dishes that felt like a real celebration.When Thulaganyo was around four or five years old, France bought her a small scooter. She loved it and spent hours riding it whenever she could.

A few years later, when she turned seven, France surprised her with a bicycle. Thulaganyo was extremely happy. At first the bicycle had two small training wheels at the back so she could balance.

France patiently taught her how to ride. When he finally removed the small wheels, she struggled and fell a few times, but he kept teaching her until she learned to balance on her own.

Riding the bicycle quickly became one of her favorite things to do. Since she was not allowed to go out much, she would rush home from school just to ride it. Almost every day she road it by herself, enjoying the small freedom it gave her.Although Thulaganyo was not allowed to go outside often, she had one close friend, a boy named Tshiamo. Tshiamo’s grandmother was friends with Elisa, so the two children spent time together whenever they could.

Thulaganyo admired Tshiamo and often copied the things he did. If Tshiamo pushed a wheelbarrow around the yard, she would try to do the same. To her, it was fun to follow his lead and pretend she could do everything he could.

Sometimes, when France was at work and Elisa was not at home, Thulaganyo would go to Tshiamo’s grandmother’s house and stay there for a while. When Elisa returned, she would come and fetch her and take her back home.Sometimes Thulaganyo would go with Tshiamo to visit his father. They would spend a little time there playing or talking, but she would eventually return to Tshiamo’s grandmother’s house.

That house had become a familiar place for her. She often waited there until Elisa came to fetch her and take her back home.As time passed, Thulaganyo continued to be bold and energetic in many ways. She played freely, copied her friends, and was never afraid to try new things.

However, when it came to speaking with elders, she became very shy. She would lower her voice, avoid eye contact, and sometimes remain silent, One day Thulaganyo decided to climb a tree. She kept going higher and higher, enjoying the challenge. But suddenly she slipped and fell to the ground. When she got up, one of her teeth had fallen out.

She quickly ran to France and showed him the tooth. France comforted her and took the tooth from her.

That night, while Thulaganyo was asleep, France quietly threw the tooth away and placed five rand inside her school shoe. Thulaganyo believed that if you put a tooth in your shoe, a tooth fairy would come during the night, take the tooth, and leave money behind.

The next morning she woke up and found the R5 in her shoe. She was excited, believing the tooth fairy had visited her, not knowing that it was actually France who had done it.

France often did small things to make her happy. Whenever he went to the market, he would bring back a Kinder Joy for Thulaganyo, which was her favorite treat.Thulaganyo loved her father figure, France, very much. When she was young, he would lift her onto his shoulders and take her along to the shop or to buy chicken.

Once they got home, France would clean the chicken, but he always let Thulaganyo help with parts of the process. She would wash or prepare certain sections while he handled the rest. It became a small routine they both enjoyed, filled with laughter and learning.During holidays, members of Thulaganyo’s real family on her mother Reginah’s side would sometimes come to visit. Not all of them came, just one or two at a time.

They knew that France Mafona, though he was not Thulaganyo’s biological father, he was taking care of her and loved her deeply. These visits were brief but important, as they reminded Thulaganyo of her roots while also showing how much she was valued and cared for in her daily life.