When Lemi Nogcazi first read a poem he wrote out loud in front of a live audience he was nervous and then elated.
“I felt overwhelmed and happy,” he said.
The 24-year-old student is one of the participants in the SBS series Lost For Words, returning for a second season which takes nine everyday Australians who struggle with literacy and numeracy on a life changing journey.
At the start of the show, the participants were asked to write a goal for themselves. For Lemi, who has struggled with dyslexia and dreamed of being a poet, his goal was to compose and perform a poem in front of a live audience.
“I’m still shocked right now. It’s still a shock to me that I done it.”
“Every day I feel proud of myself,” he said of the confidence the show gave him to achieve his goal.
Originally from South Africa, Lemi has lived in Australia now for ten years. His mum noticed his literacy and numeracy struggles early on in both English and his mother tongue of Xhosa. Leaving school in Year 10, he is currently doing his Certificate III in Early Childhood at TAFE.
Lemi, who appears in season 2 of ‘Lost For Words’. Source: Supplied
While he loves writing poetry where he relies on spell check, he often gets frustrated when he gets stuck on words that he can’t write.
“It was scary being on TV. It’s something that I’m not used to.
“(But) I got a lot out of it, (especially) how to deal with dyslexia. I get in my head too much about it… in school, like when you’re trying to answer a question, but your mind is just racing at the same time trying to remember everything.”
Lemi, who couldn’t decipher a shopping list without the assistance of Google and found counting money challenging, says his new skills make him more relaxed navigating the world.
“I feel like the show gave me the strength and the confidence that I needed to become a better person.”
Lemi’s advice for the seven million adults who struggle with basic literacy skills and nine million with numeracy, is to not be afraid to seek support.
“There’s help out there. If you look for it, there’s someone out there who will help you. Don’t give up.”
