Cliché, but true – “Many hands make light work”. The Ubuntu Community Care volunteer administrators, Myriam and Vicky, have taken on a multitude of responsibilities which include overseeing the gogos (African grandmothers) of “Sitabogogo”, operating an after-school homework program for all grade levels, distributing soup from the tail gate of their “bakkie” (little truck) in the back streets, and attending to the needs of those who seek their help.

Myriam & Vicky pause to read a letter of appreciation from Granny Beverley of Vernon

That last descriptor includes driving the sick to and from hospital at any hour, to battling red tape and bureaucratic bungling for those needing help with pension problems or birth certificates or the required South African ID booklets. But every day without fail there are many requests. On top of this, in their personal lives Vicky and Myriam have taken on the fostering of three preschool children when requested by Social Services for a “safe house”. Think: madly off in all directions! After a week I finally managed to catch the both of them at the centre at the same time for a photo.

The great news is that others are recognizing their valuable work and are offering a helping hand. Benedicte Scheen has arrived from Belgium to help during the five month gap between having finished her degree in sociology and anthropology, and returning home in September to start her Masters degree.

Belgian volunteer Benedicte Scheen carries a few of the 50 monthly supplementary food parcels.

Gogos set off with their food parcels containing eggs, rice, beans and sardines.

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As local awareness of Ubuntu Centre’s efforts increases, donations of clothes have been accumulating for the past year or two and, like some yeast-fed monster, have mushroomed to fill a room. This week long time Sabie citizen Joy Comley organized the building of shelves with donations of materials and labor. She lined up various friends to assist her each day to sort, launder, fold and hang the clothes. Her goal is to get the clothes out as soon as possible to those in need, so she can unpack donations for efficient turnaround. The plan is to soon have someone in place to operate the Clothes Bank for specified hours one day a week … build it and they will come.
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Accumulated clothing donations pile up

Joy Comley (right) and friend Ena Chandler begin to set up the Clothes Bank.

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Volunteers are also being sought to help with the after school Homework Program, and with the massive grocery shopping expeditions. In fact, there are a number of ways to help out and support … Interested? Think about it – a working holiday!

Rain has been pounding down in the past few days but this is, after all, their rainy season. So it has somewhat curtailed the gogos’ regular activities such as their outdoor exercise session with the physiotherapist who comes once a week. They are content to crowd into a shelter and chat and work on handicrafts in their laps. When the weather breaks they spill outside. The progress of their beadwork has been impressive, from single strand pieces a few years ago to much more complicated traditional pieces. Some of the gogos now sell their work and are allowed to keep the net profit. To help support these activities, Grannies à Gogo in Vernon gathered together three large bags of wool and various needles for knitting, crochet and beading. One bag was brought over by Lynn Hadfield on her full day visit two weeks ago, and I delivered the other two on my arrival.

There’s been a valuable new presence for the past year amongst the gogos and his name is Jonathan Malele. Our volunteer administrators say he is indispensable! When we were introduced he said, “I remember you.” It was my turn to be surprised. Turns out he was a student at the township high school at the time I was living in Sabie (2001-05) and running an after-school drama program at the school.

He graduated in 2004, did some college and work. His turning point came during a peaceful protest against municipal corruption in 2009, a gathering which grew so large it frightened local police who fired shots. Jonathan’s leg got in the way of a bullet (it’s still in there) and he’s had several operations. The months of recovery motivated a change of direction – he studied to be a lay minister. He’s now serving a period with the gogos where he inspires them with his talks and is vital as a reliable translator for the administrators. Clear communication where two cultures meet is essential, and Jonathan is our gem until be continues his studies in the ministry.

Jonathan Malele is a vital go-between as translator and motivator

It has been awhile since my last visit to Sabie, South Africa – just over two years. (To see those blogs go to Archives in the right margin on the home page and select Nov. 2011). During the four hour drive from Johannesburg I kept an eye out for things that are comfortingly familiar, like cars that pullover onto the shoulder to let a speeding car pass by, then the passing vehicle flashes hazard lights in a “thank you”. Very considerate, even at a hair raising 140 km/hr. And an eye out for things that have changed, like more toll booths along the major highway and higher toll rates. It helps that our Canadian dollar is currently strong against the local rand.  

But there’s one sign I always look for on the first day of each visit here and, though not always lucky, this time I was … a few little monkeys scampered across the street. I managed to capture a photo of mama monkey and babe who took to the trees. A sign – this is going to be a good four weeks!

At the Sitabogogo project in the township of Simile the gogos were sitting in plastic chairs under the shade of the big tree. As I went around the circle greeting each individually with “Sawubona” and the African handshake (and several who wanted hugs), it was moving to recognize old friends I remembered by name, and heartening to meet several who were new to the program. Many were leisurely working on various handicraft projects – knitting, crocheting, and some very intricate and colourful beadwork. Others chatted with friends and explained apologetically that their eyes or trembling hands could no longer do this work. In a future blog we’ll see more detail of their handiwork.

A hot stick-to-your-ribs meal is a highlight

Our immensely capable volunteer administrators, Vicky and Myriam, were busy supervising the preparation of large vats of soup (for later distribution on the back streets) and a hot meal of chicken stew and mealie pap for the gogos. Myriam was also counselling one gogo who takes a vat of soup back to her township of Harmony Hill to distribute from her house to hungry children. But word has spread, and young men from surrounding communities are also demanding not only soup, but that she find them jobs. Seems there’s no end of problem solving to be handled.

My intention is to keep these blogs brief, so I will continue next time with news of a wonderful young man whose misfortune (a bullet still lodged in his leg) has lent him as an invaluable asset to this project. Tune in a few days from now …

A couple of grandchildren play while their gogos collect food in the background