NGO pamper and empower gogos

LOCAL organisation, Ikatsi Youth in Action hosted an event for gogos to acknowledge their invaluable contributions and the role they play in the community. Organiser of the event, Zipho Mkhize said because the NGO deals with young people who are drug addicts, they have discovered that 80 per cent of those youth reside with their grannies.

“Whenever we visit their households, we find that their grannies are the guardians which is the reason we hosted this event to keep them updated with the latest trends.

“The gogos are left behind and they do not know the signs and the names of the drugs that young people are using.”

Mkhize said they received huge assistance and support from KwaDabeka SAPS to make the day a success.

The guest speaker was Cpt GG Radebe from Pinetown SAPS who spoke to the grannies about domestic violence and obtaining a protection order.

“We are thankful to the girls from Ilanga and Umqhele Secondary Schools who spoiled the gogos throughout the day; they served them tea, cakes, food and whatever they needed.

“We also had a massage corner where the grannies were pampered,” said Mkhize.

She also thanked Ubuntu Community Chest who sponsored wonderful prizes for the grannies.

The day was filled with lots of fun as the gogos sang and danced and there was a beauty pageant which 15 grannies participated in.

Ellen Vilakazi (90) was announced as the Clermont/KwaDabeka Queen Gogo 2016, Bongiwe Nzuza (66) was crowned first princess and the oldest granny Florence Mthalane (95) received two trophies, one for being crowned the second princess and one for being the oldest granny at the event.