A visit to his late mother's grave has become a message of hope from Saldanha matric pupil Luchen Jacobs, who wants other young people to know they are not alone in dealing with grief.
A Saldanha Bay matric learner who lost his mother and grandmother within months of each other has touched hearts with a video of himself cleaning his mother's grave and speaking to her as he struggles to come to terms with life without her.
For a Diasville High School learner, the loss of the two women who raised and protected him has made his final year at school particularly difficult. But instead of allowing his grief to overwhelm him, he hopes his video will encourage other young people to find positive ways of dealing with loss.
Luchen Jacobs, visited the graves of his mother, Bonita, and grandmother last week. He cleaned his mother's gravesite and placed fresh flowers on his grandmother's grave.
Bonita died on April 19, 2026. Jacobs also lost his grandmother in May, leaving him without the two women who had been his protectors.
He told IOL Media that losing them had taken an emotional toll during his matric year, but he remained determined to stay focused and make them proud.
“I recorded and posted the video to show people that you can still honour your loved ones even after they have passed on. With all that is going on in Saldanha Bay, I wanted to spread some positivity. I have witnessed how so many young people fall into drug abuse and crime when they do not know how to cope with loss and tough personal circumstances.
“My hope was that my video would be a light to someone out there. That it would open their eyes. Go and sit at the graves of your loved ones. Speak to them and maybe that will make you feel better. We should not just honour someone on the day of their funeral and then forget about them.”
‘Matric was tough’
An only child, Jacobs grew up without his father in the picture and now lives with family members.
He said grief often made it difficult to concentrate on his schoolwork.
“Matric was tough. Since the beginning of the year, the loss has been and continues to be hard on me. Sometimes I would struggle to focus when I have to study. The thoughts would run around and I would start missing my mother.
“In our living room, where I study, there is a portrait of her hanging right in front of me. Sometimes the picture of her would motivate me, sometimes I would miss her and just break down. So it was a tough year for me, especially after also losing my grandmother in May. She was my last bit of motivation.”
TOUGH YEAR: Diasville High School matriculant Luchen Jacobs says losing his mother and grandmother made his matric year particularly difficult.
Looking ahead after matric
While waiting for his matric results, Jacobs is looking ahead and considering two career paths.
His first choice is to complete a course that could help him secure work on an offshore oil rig. Alternatively, he hopes to become a provincial traffic officer and is watching for a possible recruitment drive early next year.
For now, he is pursuing content creation part-time. Through the Content Hub platform, he features cars, vehicle innovation and motorsport, including spinning.
He recently covered a spinning event in Mossel Bay. Jacobs is also learning the sport from his uncle and hopes to get behind the wheel himself soon.
As he prepares for life after school, he hopes his video will encourage others to remember loved ones and find positive ways to cope with grief.