My name is Edmund Rhenoster and I grew up in a godly home. At a young age, alcohol was introduced to me within my family. During matric, peer pressure led me to experiment with cigarettes and dagga. 

My performance on the sports field declined, and around the same time I entered a relationship while searching for love and belonging.

I moved to Paarl, where my girlfriend lived, and we had a daughter together. After two years, our relationship became deeply strained. I lost hope and attempted suicide, but survived. Shortly thereafter, I lost my job and returned to Worcester.

I began neglecting my responsibilities, including my role as a father. I gave up on life and blamed my parents for my circumstances. Alcohol and drugs became a way to escape the pain I carried inside. My lifestyle eventually led my parents to ask me to leave their home. At my lowest point, I was so hungry that I fought our dog for food.

After my mother passed away, I was still unemployed and overwhelmed by guilt and low self-esteem. I realised my life was in ruins. I left the gang life and cried out to God for help, asking Him to restore my relationship with my daughter and forgive me for failing her as a father.

Years later, when my daughter was sixteen, God answered that prayer. She walked into our family living room and asked to know me. Seeing me broken and poorly clothed, she offered me her shoes. That moment changed everything. I knew I needed help if I wanted to become the father she deserved.

I remembered a friend, Angelo, who once told me that if I ever wanted help, I should go to Change Makers. I knocked on their door and was accepted into the program. That decision marked the beginning of my true journey with God.

Through the program, I learned the power of forgiveness and healing. God transformed my heart, restored my relationship with my daughter, and even enabled me to obtain my driver’s license. It has been eight years since I entered the program, and my life is completely different.

Today, I am married to a wonderful woman, and my desire is to live as an example to my children and others. I now serve as a frontline staff member at Change Makers, helping other men find the same freedom I received.

Edmund was awarded Change Maker of the Year in 2018.