Family and friends gathered on February 7 to celebrate Caroline MC Seakamela’s 99th birthday in Saulsville, Atteridgeville.

When she came to Pretoria as a young married woman, Caroline initially lived in Lady Selborne.

She and her husband later settled in Atteridgeville, where she has lived since.

She went to school in her home village in Limpopo and says that even though they did not have many things, they were taught respect, discipline and how to live with people.

“I raised my children here and watched my grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow here. This community became my family. I feel humbled. A long life teaches you that strength is not loud. You cry, you pray, you stand again, and God carries you. I have seen pain and joy, but today I am grateful because I have lived long enough to see generations after me. That is a blessing,” Caroline says.

Her husband worked as a civil servant, but she never depended on that alone.

“I used my hands. I sewed dresses and clothes and sold them in the community so that my children could eat and go to school. Many nights, I worked while others were sleeping. I learnt that a mother does not rest when her children are hungry. It was not business; it was survival, but I thank God because those hands carried my family,” Caroline says.

Throughout her many decades of living in Pretoria, she says what pains her the most is a lost sense of community among people, and she hopes younger generations will get together more.

“When I was young, the streets were dusty, and life was harder, but people were closer to each other. A child belonged to the whole community. You greeted elders, and you were corrected when you did wrong,” she recalls.

“Today, there are houses, roads, electricity and education, and that is a blessing. Children now have opportunities we never had. But I worry that respect and patience are disappearing. Families do not sit together anymore. Young people are growing up without guidance. Development is good, but values must not be lost. A nation survives by its character, not only by its buildings,” Caroline adds.

She has eight children, of whom two have passed. She also has 23 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Throughout her 99 years, she advises others to take refuge in their faith and respect others.

“Put God first. Life will humble you, and money will not carry you through sorrow. What remains is how you treated people. Forgive quickly. Speak gently. Care for your family. Work honestly. Do not be ashamed of small beginnings. Peace in the heart is greater than wealth. If you want a long life, keep faith, keep respect and keep love for people. I did not become strong because life was easy. I became strong because God carried me, and I never stopped standing again,” Caroline says.

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