After being a drug addict and serving in time in prison for housebreaking and theft, TK Matimba now works as a barista. Image via Instagram @gangstar_cafe_sa
Gangstar Café: Former drug addict TK Matimba gets his coffee fix
‘If you want to see the light, open yours eyes’: TK Matimba went from struggling with a Tik addiction to becoming a qualified barista.
After being a drug addict and serving in time in prison for housebreaking and theft, TK Matimba now works as a barista. Image via Instagram @gangstar_cafe_sa
Thembinkosi “TK” Matimba’s story is one like no other. From being raised in several different environments to battling a Tik addiction, TK dodged the curveballs life threw at him and now finds hope in cups of coffee as a qualified barista. He hopes to open his own coffee shop one day.
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TK MATIMBA’S EARLY DAYS
According to Valcare, TK Matimba rotated between his family in Eastern Cape, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Stellenbosch but he always found a home in the streets.
“It’s complete madness to be raised in so many different households, each with different sets of rules, expectations, and instructions. Without warm, lasting connections, I become lost,” he told the publication.
At 16-years-old, TK was addicted to crystal meth otherwise known as Tik. The drug is highly addictive and has negative side effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations and aggression.
POLLSMOOR PRISON AND FINDING A NEW LIGHT
After dropping out of school at 17, TK mixed with the wrong crowd. “The kind of people who corrupt each other on purpose,” he explained.
2016 was a turning point in his life, he was arrested for housebreaking and theft. He was sent to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town to serve two years. His prison life mirrored his early days as he was sent to multiple prisons to complete his sentence.
When he arrived at Drakenstein Prison between Paarl and Franschoek he made the decision to join the church. “In faith, I found a shield against the negative energy of bad people. I breathed deeply and watched carefully and positively navigated my way out of prison.”
Through The Message Trust, TK was reintegrated into society and spent six months in a reintegration programme in Salt River. He was then given a position at The Gangster Café and had the opportunity to train as a barista at Ground-up Academy in Claremont where he was top of his class.
The Gangster Café only hires ex-offenders and offers previously incarcerated youth the opportunity to break the cycle of re-offending, crime and gangsterism.
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TK HAS HIGH HOPES FOR HIS FUTURE
TK left Gangstar Café in January this year to work at Redband Café at their first café in Cape Town. He will still train baristas at The Gangstar Café but hopes to open his own coffee shop one day.
“For better or worse, life will always teach you something. Even when you learn about bad things, it is still a lesson. Stop waiting for someone to drag you into the light. If you want to see the light, open your eyes and see the light.”
