“I Don’t Want This for Anybody”: SA Gent Speaks Out on Traumatic Experience of Growing Up Poor

• A South African gent hopped on TikTok to talk about the unspoken dark side of growing up poor in Mzansi
• Berlin Williams appeared to be emotional as he shared his lived experiences of having to hustle his whole life as a coloured man post apartheid
• Social media users related to his story and added heir own in the comments 

A South African coloured man shared the subtle truths about growing up poor in Mzansi and the traumatic side effects he has to deal with daily.

Berlin Williams realised his trauma after reflecting on his sour past, where he witnessed his family struggle.

SA gent speaks out on traumatic experience of growing up poor 

Growing up poor has become a norm among people of colour because of their ugly past of being oppressed and marginalised by elite groups. After years of slavery, apartheid, colourism, classism and other societal rules that dehumanised certain people, trauma has been passed down from generation to generation unintentionally.

Read also

"I couldn't even look at her eyes, they had no life already": SA reacts to lady's untimely death

Many still live in informal settlements because their great-grandparents were forced to live in different areas after implementing the Group Areas Act in 1950. Berlin Williams spoke out about the displeasing effects of that time, which still haunt him and other young people today.

“Growing up poor is such a traumatic thing that your brain does this thing where it just wipes away every memory you have of how uncomfortable it is that you become so nonchalant about it that it doesn’t ever really affect you anymore to the point where every single day you think about being poor.”

Williams shared that being a coloured man and also growing up poor has crushed his mental state even after tasting a bit of luxury through touring the world:

“Everything that I grew up around just seemed like a fever dream, and I’m at this stage of my life where I don’t want this for my family, I don’t want this for my niece, I don’t want this for anybody…we can’t even afford food.”

Read also

"I was once a waiter for 4 hours": SA reacts to gent ghosting boss after securing job

The emotional gent explained that it is heartbreaking to live in the unpleasant parts of the country, away from the stunning views and the CBD, where one has to spend a fortune to get to work or run errands. His trauma is often triggered by how certain people live freely in the luxurious parts of the world, where they lounge around in restaurants while some hustle daily for an essential meal and human decency.

“Seeing people sit with so much money, never worrying about where their next meal will come from, and I’m here to work. I’m coming here to feed my family.”

Berlin Williams shared his emotional 10 minutes clip on TikTok with the caption:

“Growing up poor and coloured.”

Watch the video below:

Mzansi reacts to gent expressing trauma of growing up poor

Social media users were choked after Berlin Williams spoke out about the trauma of growing up poor in South Africa:

Read also

"I don’t know what to do with myself or my life anymore": SA youth show depressive symptoms

@Mbomboza shared:

"I had a mental breakdown early morning 04h00 leaving our house knowing there's nothing to eat at home to go to work knowing my life is in danger on my way to work, but I'm a coloured growing up poor."

@NUR 💡shared a bit of his story:

"Growing up poor definitely leaves scars to a point where I even get so nervous and anxious buying simple things like groceries or going on holiday."

@Liry appreciated Berlin for speaking out:

"I know this wasn't easy to share but thank you for being so vulnerable with us. We love you so much Berlin."

SA man speaks out on the harsh realities of being an e-hailing driver

Briefly News also reported that a young gent got candid about the struggles that e-hailing drivers face, and peeps were left in their feelings. In the video, the man revealed how drivers are now forced to drive into areas that are not safe because out of "desperation".

Read also

Why National Wills Week is more important than you realise

Social media users reacted to the guy's content as they flocked to the comments to express their thoughts.

Source: Briefly News