Do you like to learn about other countries and cultures? Grannies à Gogo: the Vernon – South Africa Connection is sponsoring a series of four travelogues that may appeal to you. All presentations will be held at 10:00 a.m at the People Place, 3402 – 27th Avenue. Admission is $5 per session.

The series begins Friday, January 21 when Tom Skinner presents Australia: Jumping Crocodiles and Upside Down Birds. In November 2010, Tom and his wife Myna, travelled to Australia.

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Other presentations in the series will be:

Friday, January 28: Escape to the Islands of Great Boobies, the Galapagos Islands with Hugh and Anne Clarke

Friday, February 4: Israel and Jordan: Mysterious Land of Cobbled Streets and Ancient Ruins presented by Beverley Barling.

Friday, February 18: Haida Gwaii: Islands of the People presented by Warren and Shirley Grabinsky

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We can help make your gift giving easier this year!  All you need to do is print off this form, send it in, and your shopping is done!

Suggested gifts:

$10 – weekly blood pressure and insulin monitoring supplies for 2 gogos for one entire year
$25 – one year’s supply of sewing, beading and craft materials for 4 gogos for their fledgling cottage industry
$50 – 12 monthly supplemental protein food parcels for a gogo and her orphaned grandchildren
$100 – garden tools, seeds and bedding plants for a community vegetable garden that produces 3 different crops per year for 10 gogos and their families

The Vernon Morning Star published two articles that Susan wrote about her recent visits to Sabie. In case you missed them, those articles are now posted here and here.

Thank you’s flowed, and what was clear is that we all truly understand that it is the team effort – Grannies à Gogo, Rev. Ginny, Milly and Ruth, Joy and Reinette, and the indomitable spirit of the gogos. The whole thing has become bigger than the sum of its parts.

My breath was quite taken away when two of them hustled me off to a side room and put a traditional SiSwati dress on me. This was a surprise not only to me, but to all the other gogos, and when we re-entered singing and swaying they were almost as euphoric as I was. The symbolism of making me their sister didn’t escape me.

Earlier I gave a little party for the gogos and Home Based Care ladies – two cakes decorated with “We love you Sitabogogo” and bowls of fruit and juice.

Ginny, surrounded by hats, scarves and knitted caps.

On another subject, I’m often asked why the gogos are always seen with hats of some sort and haven’t been able to answer. So I finally asked. They answered that it is their culture to wear a head covering once a woman is married or has a child (those two events being in no particular order.) They explained they are probably the last generation to do so, as young women now experiment with many hairstyles instead. They also mentioned that they’ve never worn trousers as the younger women now do. Here’s an idea via Ginny – to buy white cotton hats for all of them, similar to the one in the lower left of the photo, and then they will decorate them with their beadwork.

I’ve made reference throughout the last three weeks to how Sitabogogo has become a recognized presence in the community. This was underscored yet again when Ginny introduced me to the young man instrumental in organizing the representatives from Thaba Chweu for last year’s Senior Games (see Blog #4: Golden Gogos). Apparently this year he hopes to make up an entire team from Sitabogogo!

So much to watch for and support in the year ahead. Salani kahle, and hope to see many of you at the Pot Luck on March 31st – I’ll have a slide show of this visit (and wear my SiSwati member dress!)

Joy Burton took me to visit Nazareth Baby Crèche which I hadn’t seen in two years. A few years ago Emily Nonyane, a vulnerable gogo, approached Ginny for help, and Ginny encouraged her to start a home-based nursery. Emily takes in more the thirty little ones daily, around the clock to accommodate shift workers, and has a staff of five. Grannies à Gogo donates 25 kg of food per month for these infants.

When Joy and I arrived I noticed a number of improvements since my last visit – a fence had been built around the property (organized by Beverley Barling the year she visited), and lawn planted to facilitate outdoor play. A large room has been added on to the back of the house and this is where we found about 25 little ones and their care-givers. However, we were disappointed to see them all lying passively on mattresses spread around the perimeter of the very bleak room. No playthings in sight, nothing adorning the cement walls. Joy had told me earlier that, although toys have been donated, they are often not used because the caregivers say they cause squabbling. Joy made a point of asking. “Where are the toys?” and one of the ladies fetched a bagful and dumped it into the middle of the floor. The photos below tell the story of B.T (before toys) and A.T. (after toys).

B.T. (Before toys)

A.T. (After toys)

Within a few minutes the majority of them were up and interacting with the toys and each other. I’m concerned about the lack of stimulation for these little ones whose brains are like sponges from birth to age five, soaking up everything around them. My hope is that these ladies might be able to attend some training in early childhood education before long.

The Orphan Feeding Project is a visit I enjoy every year. Run very smoothly by Zodwa Mkhonto, it feeds about 300-350 orphans and vulnerable children twice daily in two locations. She has 15 volunteers putting in full days.

Volunteers cook mealiepap and stew

There are two arms to this project. Zodwa runs Masipa Kapisane (“Let us lift together”) and oversees everything to do with the feeding aspect. Bobby Duffett runs Masiba Mbane (“Let’s hold hands together”) and raises the money for operation costs and finding food. This past year the economic crisis caught up with them, too, and by Dec. they had to forgo the annual Christmas party that Bobby throws for them. Thanks to a generous donation by Kelowna’s Gifts to Grandmother’s, their food budget is off to a good start for January and February, and Bobby will have the party in late March at the beginning of their school break.

One hundred finish up and make way for the next ones.