Which got me thinking about how many true friends Knit-a-Square has brought into my life over the past 5 winter seasons. And it's been an AMAZING few hours of reflection which had me scurrying into the archives, searching for photographs which might fan the embers of my memory into flames. And what a wonderful reverie it's been. I could cheerfully stay there with a silly grin on my face ... for days on end !
But then I wouldn't get to share the stories with y'all !!!
Today I would like to focus on the wonderful Gogo's, who from the early days of KAS have been tremendous supporters and did the bulk of sewing of the squares into blankets.
Without their energy, commitment, dedication and support KAS may never have got off the ground!
We pay tribute with great respect to millions of grandparents who house, feed, protect and love millions of tiny children in South Africa who have lost their parents to HIV and AIDS, to treatment resistant strains of TB, to other ailments and to rampant crime. This is a tragic and rampant syndrome in South Africa - so many of these elderly people are fending for multiple grandchildren on government grants which are a fraction of their real costs. The resulting hardships are indescribable.
And yet it is our KAS experience that the gogo's are gracious, witty, welcoming and friendly !!!
Our Tchiawelo gogo's who have been stitching squares together for us for several years - seen here on their 3 kilometer walk through Protea South.
This gorgeous little gogo had such bandy legs, she rocked from side to side like the Queen Mary - we just adored her and she was completely unselfconscious and full of joy !!
I loved this hug ... received after we had "finished" our walk !!. They are tireless !! We cheated and walked about 1km
It's been a fantastic journey so far ... there are so many more photographs, so many more stories of the great response of human nature to REAL deprivation and difficulty !
Watch this space !!!!!!!
News Extra :
I should have said that when the Tchiawelo gogo group have a newly renovated hall (they are painting it) we are planning to make a date for one Saturday afternoon when KAS can take tea, milk, sugar and a whole lotta cakes, biscuits, tarts, buns and other delicious fare and have a great big tea party with them to thank them for all their help !!
Last year we sent them enough money to buy ingredients for a lunch party for thirty gogos which they loved, but this year they are desperately saving money for a special project of some kind and Wandi suggested we have a tea party (less expensive than lunch) and also donate R500 towards their project, and I think that is a wonderful idea !!!
This year we will JOIN them for tea and a celebration, so we can take lots of photographs too.
Replies
The tea party sounds like a wonderful idea!
The gogos are the backbone of South Africa <3
Looking forward to the pics of the tea party. You are making me hungry thinking about it! The Go-go's do an amazing job and not all of them are very fit themselves either. I am sure many of them end up with extra children too. Thanks Ronda.
What a wonderful group, Ronda! Thank you for telling their story. Without their unconditional support, KAS wouldn't be as successful as it is today. Have a great tea party!
What a lovely and inspiring report Ronda.
It is truly a pleasure and blessing to be able to help the GoGo's looking after their grandchildren (by providing what we can for the children in the way of blankets, hats and other garments and those vital 'slip ins').
They are beautiful people to have so little themselves, and yet they are still giving what they can to their community by sewing blankets together for others who are in need.
What a wonderfully blessed woman you are, Ronda, to have met such KAS heroes! Thank you for including us in your marvelous journey!!!!
Wonderful, Ronda! I do hope this generation of gogos will be remebered and revered somehow. They have given so much - truly South African heroes and an inspiration to all of us.
Thanks a million Ronda. So looking forward to seeing more photographs!