Bardogs South Africa Edition

May I introduce: Dowayne. 

Dowayne comes from Manenberg, Cape Town. 

What or where is Manenberg?
Manenberg is a community near Cape Town Airport in South Africa. It was founded between 1966 and 1970 under the racist white apartheid regime, which forcibly evicted "non-whites" from their homes in and around Cape Town. Families were split up and relocated to areas further away from the city with substandard housing and little formal infrastructure. 

Fear, loss, isolation and trauma - not to mention the racial discrimination faced by people in these communities - led to high school dropout rates, high unemployment and a dramatic rise in violent crime, drug addiction and gangsterism. 

So who is Dowayne?
Growing up in Manenberg, Dowayne experienced what is unfortunately the reality for many. With an absentee father and a drug dealing mother, he dropped out of school in the 9th grade. At the age of 13, Dowayne became addicted to "Tik", crystal meth and Mandrax (a type of tranquilizer). At the age of 18, he started taking heroin - and that's when it really started. 

After several attempts at rehab, Dowayne finally pulled through and is celebrating 9 years clean and sober in February 2021! 

And now?
Dowayne and his wife Sarah are now married, have a son and another baby on the way, and still have a big heart for this community that is full of vibrancy and fun and so much potential. They dream of continuing to give back to the people who call Manenberg home, supporting already established local organizations and making a real lasting difference in people's lives.