Photo: Contributed
Grade 12 student Ethel Gamma
The grandmothers in Vernon are doing everything they can to make the future of a teenager in Africa that much brighter.
Grannies à Gogo: The Vernon – South Africa Connection is a Vernon-based women’s group dedicated to supporting women in Sabie, South Africa who are raising grandchildren orphaned by AIDS.
Gogo is the Zulu word for grandmother, so the name translates as “grandmothers to grandmothers.”
They have embarked on a mission to help grade 12 student Ethel Gamma, who is described as “very bright” and “deserves to go to university”.
On its website, Grannies à Gogo said the support for young people is based on reports from its volunteer administrator, a former director, Vicky Bryant.
“She is a hard-working girl and deserves help getting to college, having passed all her subjects with distinction over the years. Through sheer determination and hard work, she is determined to break the cycle of poverty that prevents many from reaching her full potential. Ethel has an insatiable thirst for knowledge: she never hesitates to ask a question and constantly requests additional exercises. She is determined to do something that will change the situation for her family and benefit her community,” Bryant said.
Gamma lives in a two-room shack with her unemployed mother and sister. Despite her plight, she is determined to change her circumstances and the lives of her family. She does her homework standing in the kitchen, working on a small shelf. She was selected as the only top achiever in her high school and was invited to a top achiever celebration in the nearby town and was awarded a laptop for her efforts.
Gamma is considering entering the medical field. It has not been determined where she will continue her post-secondary education, but it will require her to move from Sabie to a larger location.
“We know that Ethel will need financial support to make her dreams come true, but we don’t yet know the details of her needs and it will depend on where she is accepted and how long she continues her studies. In time, we will know specifically what she will need for housing, books, etc. We would like to see Ethel through to the end of her journey, but even if we can help her get started, she will be a great help,” Grannies à Gogo said on her website.
Donations can be made through the Grannies à Gogo website or by check made payable to the Grannies à Gogo Treasurer, made payable to the Ethel Gamma Education Fund, Box 1652, Vernon, BC, V1T 8C3.
