Dealing with an illness that robbed her of her confidence and being rejected by her father who did not want anything to do with her, Bongiwe became suicidal and slipped into a depression.
Desperate for a place to live and to escape the abuse from her father's family, Beatriz, at the age of 13, dated a man who was 15 years older, then had two children with him.
Elizabeth started attending church services to seek healing for her ill health, but received more than she was looking for. She had been diagnosed with a chronic illness that affected her joints.