The Tinyungubyiseni Vakhegula Project which means ‘Grannies be proud’ in Xitsonga,teaches the elderly how to bead and sell the finish products to the community.
It has started in 2013 by Samuel Ramaila a social worker and Reaneth Malatji a former social work student at the health centre.Malatji noticed that the pensioners in the village were isolated and not involved in any kind of mural activities and she started the beading project which was well received by the community.
The grannies sell their jewellery at the local health centre, as currently they do not have a place of their own to work in.They meet every Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 12pm. One of the bead artist Sostina Mashele expressed her feelings about beading “I love coming to the clinic to bead, because i get to interact with my peers and forget about family problems,” said Mashele.
Lungi Mojela a social worker at the clinic now monitors everything and helps the pensioners with managing their finances.”The biggest challenge we have is lack of a place, because now the Old ladies do their jewelleries under a tree and if it rains we don’t get to work,” Mojela said. The project hopes to grow from only doing jewelleries to making traditional clothing and hats. Norah Hiliza said she pleads to the community of Tzaneen to help with funding and a place to work in.The pensioners do a lot of traditional wedding jewelleries.
For more information and for donations call 072 477 6252
