About | Activities | Outings
Sitabogogo is the name chosen by our grandmother partners in Sabie, South Africa. It is a Zulu word which translates as “Help a Grandmother”. They are a group of impoverished grandmothers who are often struggling with the death of their adult children due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and are now raising their orphaned grandchildren. Many of them are caring for their AIDS infected adult children at home while trying to provide food, shelter and education for the extended family.
The Sitabogogo members live in the township of Simile at the northern edge of the small rural community of Sabie in the north-eastern province of Mpumalanga. This is one of the more underdeveloped provinces of South Africa, but the Sabie area is ruggedly beautiful with forested mountains, waterfalls and canyon gorges. At 4000 feet elevation (similar to Silver Star Mountain in Vernon), it is a tourist destination for outdoor enthusiasts during the heat of summer. It is also only an hour’s drive from Kruger National Park.
The main employer is the plantation forestry industry although, unofficially, the unemployment rate is estimated at 40 to 50%. More than 10,000 live in squatter shacks or, as the government labels them, informal settlements. Religion and various Christian churches play an important part in the lives of the gogos and, ironically, often so does the Sangoma, or witch doctor/medicine man.
Ruth and Ginny
Rev. Ginny Uren Viner Volunteer Administrator
On a visit back to Sabie in January 2007 Susan met with Ginny whom she had known since 2000. Ginny had previously formed an outreach group called Families 4 Families in an effort to partner local residents with the disadvantaged African population, but it wasn’t receiving the response she had hoped for.
Ginny listened to Susan’s proposal and she agreed to become the volunteer administrator for Grannies à Gogo: the Vernon – South Africa Connection, under the larger umbrella of Families 4 Families. It was a win-win situation. Ginny was able to fire up awareness and plan activities with renewed zeal, knowing there was committed emotional and financial support coming from the Vernon group. Susan was able to go ahead with forming Grannies à Gogo when she returned to Canada, knowing she had a most trustworthy contact in place to administer the project details in South Africa.
Milly Chiloane Sitabogogo Coordinator
Milly Chiloane
Milly works with the gogos full time. She assesses their most pressing needs and makes the necessary arrangements to address those deficiencies, such as medical or dental attention, food, eye glasses, shelter, transportation or school fees. She organizes and encourages them in their activities, arranges guest speakers, occasional outings, and high participation events (Gogos get active). Together they take one morning per week to visit those hospitalized and the homes of those recently bereaved.
She is paid $100/month, all of which comes from a private Vernon donor. At the end of each month Milly submits a report to Ginny, our administrator, which is emailed to Grannies à Gogo in Vernon. Often it is accompanied by attached photos.
Ruth Magagula Managing Director of Sitabogogo
Ruth was the first coordinator of Sitabogogo for 18 months. She laid the foundation for all mentioned above and expertly brought it to its current thriving state. Ruth continues to be a Director of Ubuntu Centre which houses Sitabogogo activities as well as Families 4 Families. In addition, she is Director of the Home Based Care Team in Sabie, which administers to the sick and the dying and their families, some of which involves members of Sitabogogo.
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