Gogos are doing it for Mandela Day
Elderly women want to bring positive changes to their community.
Mandela Day is fast approaching and for many, it means making a positive impact within their communities by helping the disadvantaged.
The Sizanani Elderly Support Group in Klipspruit has already started preparing for the day, knitting blankets for orphans and vulnerable children in their community.
The organisation comprises of mostly senior citizens and is currently based at Motjoli Primary School in Klipspruit.
The gogos are keeping themselves busy by knitting beautiful blankets for the needy for 67 minutes of Mandela day on July 18.
They all gather at the centre every Tuesday from 10am to 1pm, not only to knit blankets but they also have sessions where they talk about the challenges they go through as women and thus, empower each other. Sizanani provide food for them.
“We are currently busy with the 67 minutes for Mandela Day, knitting these beautiful blankets for our beneficiaries. However, we still continue to support each other as most of us are going through a lot.
“We need professionals who are going to help us psychologically, for instance, with counselling. These grannies want to be taken out, go on trips and have fun, but finances seem to be a problem,” said Mmanthabiseng Maweng Sizanani Elderly Support Group leader.
The gogos have done more than 67 blankets and they said they still want to do more, but they will need donations when it comes to material used to knit these blankets.
Maweng also mentioned that they celebrate birthdays quarterly, and on July 10, they will be celebrating all those whose birthdays are in April, May and June amongst them.
