Hello, or Sanibonani in my native language. I am Nombuso Madiba, 29 years of age. I live in Umlazi, a beautiful township in Durban. I was an Au Pair from October 2001 to November 2002, in San Jose California, USA for the Mayberry family.

My duties included taking care of two boys, namely Jelani (8) and Jibri (6) Mayberry. The children and I bonded instantly and got on very well together. I helped with home work, made trips to the park, the museum and to the library.

They enjoyed visits to the Barber shop, as this was where they inter-acted with older men, which made them feel grown up. We had many hours of fun. When the children were at school, my time was spent attending classes, going to the movies, meeting with friends and shopping in downtown, San Francisco.

During my stay in San Jose I joined a church called Emmanuel Baptist church where I felt completely at home. I also took part in some of the programs at church such as the kitchen soup, choir practice and fun activities for children.

I spent Thanksgiving and cultural day there. On our cultural day I took liberty of wearing a South African traditional outfit and was amazed at the attention I received. I was asked to explain the meaning of my outfit. I was very pleased to oblige and proudly shared about our great King Shaka Zulu.

On the evening of my birthday, as a gift, my host mother presented me with two live concert tickets. I then invited my friend who accompanied me to see Luther Vandross, Angie Stone and Gerald Levert. This marked the highlight of my stay in the USA!