WHAT WEand#039;RE LISTENING TO: Audio diary highlights struggles of a young South African as she navigates her matric year and the challenges ahead

South African spelling bee champion Nonhlanhla Mashabana faces her greatest challenge to date: her final year of high school and the precarious and uncertain transition to higher education. There’s a lot standing in her way: growing up poor in post-apartheid South Africa, the weight of carrying the family’s hopes of a better life, and the fear of being the first to leave home. As she walks down a road that has caused so many to stumble, how will Nonhlanhla navigate a broken education system?