Elderly enjoy fun day at Khula Community Centre near Port Shepstone

The event at Khula Community Centre was a celebration of love, community, laughter and gratitude.

16 hours ago

Sugan Naidoo 1 minute read

Staff from the Khula Community Centre (back, from left) Bongisile Nzama, Thandazile Cele, Ally Minnaar, Zondile Zulu, Bohile Nzama, Philisiwe Lubangana, Alta Grayson and Mildred Mthethwa, with Rebecca Beattie and Cindy Zulu in front.

It was all about fun, laughter, and happy memories as Khula Community Centre in rural Mhlabatini, about 40km inland of Port Shepstone, hosted a gogos and mkhulus day last Thursday.

This was the third year that the centre, which runs a variety of projects focused on uplifting and empowering the youth in the area, celebrated this special day.

The highlight of the day was seeing the enthusiastic gogos and mkhulus take part in the fun and games. Games included shumpu, three tins, a one-kilometre walk, magalobha and water games. The men particularly enjoyed the football match, which brought plenty of excitement and cheering from the sidelines.

Khula believes that elderly community members deserve to be celebrated, appreciated and reminded about how much they mean.

“This special day is our way of saying, we love you, we value you, and we are so grateful for you. It was wonderful to see everyone joining in, having fun and, most importantly, enjoying one another’s company. We were also delighted to welcome physiotherapists from Murchison Hospital, who led the group in gentle seated exercises. There were plenty of smiles as everyone followed along – proof that age is certainly no barrier when it comes to keeping active,” said centre manager Ally Minnaar.

The seniors enjoyed a delicious lunch of sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea. Before heading home, each gogo and mkhulu received a special gift, along with fresh spinach, cabbage and a takeaway lunch to enjoy at home.

“To all our dear friends and supporters, thank you. Thank you to everyone who contributed financially, donated food or gifts, travelled from near and far, or gave their precious time to make this day possible. We were especially grateful to Just Property/Uvongo, who volunteered their time. To our wonderful Khula team, a heartfelt thank you for working so tirelessly behind the scenes. Many hours of planning, preparation and hard work went into making this day such a success, ” said Ally.