Set alight by jealous classmates, Qaphela Gobodo’s promising rugby career and life were put on hold so he could recover, but he is now ready to rise above it all.

Cape Town, South Africa – Qaphela Gobodo was in Grade 8 at Bergrivier High School in Wellington when he earned a rugby scholarship for a prestigious school in Pretoria. He was a rising star and had a promising career ahead of him.

Then one horrifying day, he was attacked and set alight, left to burn alive. At the age of 15, his life was entirely changed by a group of jealous classmates. Qaphela faced the hardest time in his life, his body was recovering from painful burns, he was mercilessly bullied at school, and his dream of becoming a Springbok drifted away. He underwent twenty surgeries to repair the damage of the third-degree burns he sustained.

Qaphela couldn’t handle the bullying, so he dropped out. We first heard Qaphela’s story when Nthabeleng Likotsi Tweeted about him. She hoped to help him get back on his feet. Her main focus being, to get him back into school.

He is now 18-years-old, and as much as Nthabeleng tried, schools refused to admit him as he was too old. She never gave up and was happy to announce in August that they managed to register him for his Grade 9 certificate at an online school for 2020.

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