Why Gogos hold the key to economic upliftment in SA
Approximately four million children in South Africa are being raised by grandmothers, also known as Gogos. This means that a considerable number of households are surviving on a single SASSA older persons or childcare grant, which at just over R2,000 per month respectively, cannot realistically meet the needs of a household. This, according to Jane Simmonds, executive director and founder of the goGOGOgo initiative, places these matriarchs in a uniquely important position.
Gogo’s got skills
goGOGOgo was founded in 2020 to support Gogos across the country in building capacity, skills, and knowledge, with the ultimate goal of empowering these third-generation women to mentor the next generation of adults.
“By empowering Gogos, we support them in their role of raising grandchildren with better education and health outcomes, which will lead to greater economic opportunities for these grandchildren,” adds Simmonds.
One of the organisation’s many projects include the iGOGO initiative, established to equip Gogos with digital literacy skills and improve internet access in more households across the country. Through its partnership with fibre provider Vuma, GOGOs with Vuma was launched, enabling Gogos to receive interactive training and digital devices. This initiative enhances educational outcomes for both the Gogos and the children they care for and includes a graduation ceremony to honour their participation in the training.
With Gogos being the primary caregivers in many children’s lives, the onus falls on them to ensure their dependents have access to appropriate educational opportunities, particularly those that will prepare them for the future world of work. Many Gogos are either ill-equipped to provide access to online educational platforms or are worried about the risks associated with internet access, limiting their learning as a result.
“I have improved my communication; I have gained access to do things online by myself without any help from my grandchildren and I can also manage my money on the banking app without going to the bank,” says 64-year-old Nofezile Mathome, a beneficiary of the GOGOs with Vuma project.
The ripple effect of creating economic opportunities for the elderly
“Gogos may well be the economic backbone of the country, and the key to upliftment in the future. By empowering third generation women across South Africa, many of whom are breadwinners for their families and sole caregivers for their grandchildren, with digital skills, devices, and improved internet access to the home, economic development will likely flourish in South Africa’s future,” says Lianne Williams, Marketing Director at Vuma.
“Through GOGOs with Vuma, we’ll continue to identify these needs in communities and strive to provide new possibilities for better development.”
About Vuma
Vuma is a leading South African fibre provider that has passed more than over 2 million homes since its operations began in 2014. Vuma connects South African communities to high-speed, fit-for-purpose internet through open-access fibre broadband. Working with more than 75 Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Vuma’s value extends beyond infrastructure and empowers ordinary individuals and communities across South Africa to do more, see more, and dream of more.
Guided by its philosophy of ‘because we can, we must’, Vuma strives to drive transformation and break communication barriers. The brand has connected more than 780 registered primary and high schools in the regions where it operates, to free 1Gbps fibre broadband internet. This supports hundreds of thousands of young people and their teachers through access to the boundless opportunities of the internet, in collaboration with its partner ISPs.
Vuma’s CEO, Dietlof Mare, was awarded Telecom CEO of the Year 2020 South Africa as well as Telecom CEO of the Year 2021 South Africa by the International Business Magazine Awards.
To find out more about Vuma fibre deals visit www.vumatel.co.za.