Durban - WHEN Cwengi Myeni retired from professional nursing in 2006 after serving 30 years, her plan was to have a quiet time at home, but she could no longer ignore what was happening around her as numerous people were dying of HIV and Aids-related illnesses.
Grannies were nursing their terminally ill daughters and many were being left with the burden of raising the grandchildren orphaned by the pandemic.
“The grannies were confused, and without the training and the support, the situation was getting worse. There were many funerals at the same time. Neighbours would not know which funeral to attend,” she said, speaking ahead of World Aids Day on Sunday.
Myeni started the Gogo (Granny) Support Groups programme to train the grannies to help break down stigma by counselling people to keep fit and healthy, get tested, regularly take their medication, and discuss sexual and reproductive health with their younger family members, some of whom are orphans of Aids.
Myeni, the Granny Support Groups Co-ordinator, said they had come a long way in the fight against Aids and understanding the pandemic.
“The grannies not only lost their daughters to the pandemic, but it brought financial strain because most of them are unemployed and relied on social grants. The support group provides them with the platform to socialise with other grannies.
Hundreds of elderly women who have made a huge contribution in addressing HIV and Aids in communities in and around Durban, will soon be celebrating their strides in addressing the epidemic.
The Hillcrest Aids Centre, which provides psychosocial support and skills training to over 2000 grannies through a network of over 60 support groups, is running its “Gogo of the Year” for grannies making exceptional contributions to the fight against Aids.