Two Gogos Making a Difference in Swaziland by Melody Rockwell

Swaziland Safe Water Project -- sponsored by substantial grants from the Episcopal Church United Thank Offering Gift and Trust Fund and Episcopal Waters of Hope with generous gifts from the Iowa Safe Water International Ministries and the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, parishes and individuals...

This past week I was privileged to meet two Gogos (Grandmas) in Swaziland, whose generous gifts are making a real difference in their small rural communities.

Dumsani Matsebula with Gogo Miriam Zwane in front of Mhlosheni Anglican Church.

Last Thursday (October 8), on the way to the demonstration at Mhlosheni (southern Swaziland), Dumsani Matsebula's home community, the Swaziland Safe Water Ministries team's van bumped slowly along the last few kilometers on a narrow dirt road. Before we arrived at the council tree, Dumsane directed the van down an even narrower road to a homestead some distance away from the main village and got out to open a gate to the compound. "You must meet the granny," he said, "who has given so much to make the Anglican Church a reality in this area."

Dumsani proudly introduced us to Gogo Miriam Zwane, who allows church meetings to take place in the small structure that is used by her children when they come home on visits. Dumsani is the lay minister, who serves this beginning parish. The church services are able to take place only when the children are not visiting, and so there is never assurance that the building will be available. It is very much appreciated whenever it can be used for Sunday services and mid-week Bible studies, but joyfully, the congregation is beginning to outgrow this facility.

Gogo Zwane has offered a generous remedy. She is giving a large field behind her home and near the entrance gate as land for building a new, good-sized church building. This 86-year old woman communicated her vitality and good will to the whole team. We were honored to be in her presence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gogo Siphiwe Fakudze at her homestead in Timbutini.

Today (October 11), my husband Dan and I were invited to visit a small beginning parish located some distance north of Manzini. Inhle Mdlalose, HIV/AIDS coordinator for the Diocese of Swaziland, had issued a special invitation for us to visit "a granny who has started a Neighborhood Care Point at her home." On the way to Timbutini, Inhle explained that Gogo Siphiwe Fakudze had worked in Manzini for many years. Incidentally, Gogo Fakudze is the actual great-grandmother of Swaziland Safe Water Ministries trainee, Nothemba Khoza. When she retired, she moved to the rural community of Timbutini and began providing a meal for orphans and vulnerable children in the area every Sunday after church. She offered her home as a place for an Anglican church service until the local chief donated a small building nearby.

When we arrived, we found the small, cement block building with a corrugated metal roof filled with people -- mostly children and teenagers. Gogo Fakudze came out to embrace us with welcome and invite us into the church and into the midst of voices welling in hymnful praise. Father Eric Mahlalela presided at the service and it was a joy to greet this man who had offered such generous hospitality at Luve when an Iowa team visited Swaziland in 2004.

After the service, Gogo Fakudze invited us out to see the girls perform a Swazi dance and then she joined in... another grandmother in her eighties... vital and giving; making a big difference in the lives of the children in her community. And speaking of the community, she has involved them in the Neighborhood Care Point project. She offers her 'kitchen,' pots and pans and water from her standpipe for volunteers to cook a meal for the children each day Monday through Saturday, while she still prepares the meal for the children after church each Sunday.

Gogo Fakudze expressed her thanks to the people of the Diocese of Iowa for their generous support of the Anglican Neighborhood Care Centers in Swaziland and especially for the children in Tibutini. "Thank you to Iowa!" she said. "Thank you for all you do," Dan and I responded.

For grace-filled grannies in Swaziland, we give thanks!