From Streets to Teacher: How Eric’s Hunger for Knowledge Unlocked a New Life

Eric Badise with Claudia Blythe-Hooper, the Education Manager for the Durban Holocaust & Genocide Centre. Photo Credit: Supplied

From cleaning taxis to selling donated books and going on to share his experiences on stages across the globe, Eric Badise is a living example of how a single moment of opportunity can change one’s life in the most extraordinary ways.

Durban, South Africa (11 July 2025) – We’re all just one moment, encounter, experience, decision and opportunity away from our lives changing in one way or the other.

Once leading a hard life marked by the struggles of homelessness and cleaning taxis for two years to make just enough money to stay at a shelter each night, Eric Badise has since built a better life for himself from these humble beginnings.

“I was working at taxi ranks, hustling to find taxis to clean every day. That was the only way for me to be able to stay at a local shelter. Even though I was homeless after leaving Johannesburg to try to find work in Durban, I told myself to at least be a homeless guy who sleeps indoors. Even though I hated having to wash taxis, I was afraid of getting sick or mugged. So I had to hustle,” Eric tells us.

Eric, through moving around shelters and interacting with other hustlers, soon found himself at the Denis Hurley Centre. There, he was introduced to the StreetLit programme, which offered him an opportunity to earn a modest living from selling donated books in and around Durban.

It was there that Eric stepped into an opportunity that would change how he saw the world and the world saw him.

As one of the programme’s 25 vendors selling books to the public over a few years, he gained a love for knowledge.

“Selling books was life-changing for me. Cleaning a single taxi took me two hours to earn only R20. By selling books, I could make twice or more of that in a matter of minutes. I could afford food, something I couldn’t really do before. Things were looking up.”

When things slowed down during the Covid-19 lockdown, the Lit programme’s Illa Thompson encouraged the book vendors to journal and learn about the WW2 Holocaust to keep busy and inspired.

The group also spent time at the Holocaust Centre in Durban, where Eric’s understanding of history deepened. While volunteering at the museum, he realised there was an important book about Anne Frank missing from the museum’s comprehensive library. He soon discovered it was available at a leading book retailer and inquired about having it donated to the library.

His gesture was so appreciated by the leaders of the Holocaust Centre that they ended up offering Eric a position as an Education Officer, where he teaches history to high school learners.

“There are many things that have happened behind the scenes to bring about the transformation of my life,” he reflects.

Not only did his keen interest in the history of WW2 secure him a job, but he has also, through sharing his personal testimony with others, become quite the keynote speaker.

He’s addressed national conferences on homelessness in Johannesburg and Cape Town, sharing inspiring talks and helpful advice with the destitute, encouraging them to take charge of their lives instead of waiting for handouts.

“When you are homeless, society tells you that you are finished because you don’t have anything. That’s the reality. During talks, we encourage each other to read books and touch on important matters like saving money, choosing better lifestyles, making hard decisions and changing our lives for the better,” Eric says.

More recently, Eric was honoured with an invitation to attend a conference in Poland among professionals and academics.

“That was the best week of my life! It was like a dream come true. Every part of the experience was amazing. Parts of it were intimidating, like flying internationally and being in big airports.

“I think the other delegates found my story interesting – that I am a (formerly) homeless black man from South Africa with an interest in the Holocaust.

“It was really interesting to learn more about the human psyche. The lessons of the Holocaust are the lessons of humanity. It’s not just a Jewish story. The message is how the human mind thinks and how vulnerable we all are,” he reflects.

Eric continues to run his vendor book table in the Botanic Gardens and has become a role model and mentor to other members at the Denis Hurley Centre.

“I wouldn’t say I have made it. I’m still going up the ladder, learning as I go. The most important thing is to lift others and help them overcome homelessness, too,” says Eric, who still identifies as homeless.

Beyond professional success, Eric has built a beautiful personal life, marrying his long-term girlfriend with whom he shares a small city apartment.

Asked how it feels to have experienced this complete transformation, Eric says that he always knew he’d make it out of the streets.

“I used to download and listen to a lot of positive videos, programming my mind for a better life. I didn’t know when or how things would change for me, but I always knew they would. I just kept a positive mind. Things were tough for a long time. But looking back on all the changes my life has taken, I’m not shocked. I always believed big things would happen for me. I expected good things to happen for me. I’m still growing but that’s how I set up my mindset.”

Eric credits his success to the Denis Hurley Centre, the Holocaust Centre and all those who have supported his journey.

Stories of individuals who have faced difficult odds, like Eric, and have gone on to build beautiful lives while inspiring others along the way are truly special and worth celebrating!