Today, Shana Johndon, a Samsung Real Dreams program graduate, works as a personal assistant at a non-profit organization that supports the disabled community. She is financially independent, and even provides for her father. “I’m happy. I work to improve other people’s lives. This gives me a sense of achievement,” she says.

To reach this point, Shana had to swim against the tide. Raised in Cape Flats – a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Cape Town, she was surrounded by a culture of despair, drugs and alcoholism. “I’ve lost many friends to drug abuse,” Shana says. “They get caught up in the drug scene, drop out of school, and are not employable.”

Thanks to her father’s encouragement and her own unflinching determination – Shana was able overcome the harsh reality of her community.

She joined the Samsung Real Dreams program run by the Salesian Institute after hearing about it from her dentist. There, a team of instructors set out to match her drive with the practical know-how needed for success. Proudly, they watched her grow into a thoroughly employable young woman.

“I was aware of my peers and the decisions I was faced with. The Samsung Real Dreams program equipped me with the tools to tackle these challenges. I now have the life, communication and technical skills most applicable to my community. I have the mindset to go out there, find and seize opportunities,” she explains. “And the most important thing is that I now have choice and a sense of ‘can do, will do,’” she adds. “I believe in myself.”