This Much I Know: Khanyo Dlamini - a poet and writer, living in direct provision in Clonakilty, Co Cork

Khanyo Dlamini chats to Martha Brennan about the struggles she faced before moving from her native South Africa to the Clonakilty Lodge direct provision centre

Khanyo Dlamini has fallen in love with Cork since she moved to Ireland following the deaths of her brother and mother.

I’m the third of 10 children. Six girls and four boys. My parents grew up in a village but when they had their second child they moved to the city and rented houses so we moved to many places in South Africa.

I used to drown myself in books. I was a very good reader and storyteller. When I was growing up there were no TVs, we used to gather around the radio. At a particular time in the evening, there would be a story on and I used to listen and everyone would gather around and I would tell the story. I learned to change voices and everything to play the characters.