Sinikiwe



Martha models traditional beaded Ndebele attire by Sister Desiree Tshilo, head of Sinikiwe at the Mokoka Library

On Wednesday, we went on an outing to the township of Daveyton to visit an organization called Sinikiwe, a Xhosa word meaning "women who share their God-given talents with others." They work out of the HP Mokoka Public Library and string beads in traditional African (Zulu or Ndebele) style. The two ladies who head up this non-profit organization are Sister Desiree Tshilo, a member of the Church, and her non-member white friend Jenny De Nysschen, an expert in the dying art of lace-making. Jenny's husband Leon is a bee-keeper, and together they are teaching bee-keeping in the community as well as beading and lace-making. But, more than anything else, they are teaching unselfish service and self-reliance. Women throughout the community volunteer to string beads and their supplies are donated until they are able to buy them themselves through selling what they make.

Two potential customers admire the beadwork

Samples of the women's beadwork on display in the library



More examples of the handicraft of the Sinikiwe women



Sister Shanna Parmlee, the Area President's wife when Bob was in Africa 9 years ago, entrusted Martha with some money to invest in entrepreneurial African woman who are involved in worthwhile causes and promote women becoming self-reliant. Martha shared that at a luncheon at the mission home with Sister Dunn and a group of local LDS women, one of whom went home and shared that information with her mother, Desiree. Desiree and Jenny showed up at our office the next week and shared their Sinikiwe concept and invited us to come and visit their operation. We were impressed then and are even more impressed after visiting them in Daveyton. This looks like an ideal organization to invest in.

 

Martha with Jenny De Nysschen, wearing an "I Love Bees" button

A sample of Jenny's lace work

 

Jenny's husband, Leon, the bee keeper and instructor



Jenny & Leon De Nysschen

Volunteers busy doing beading, on a totally volunteer basis

Socializing and beading seem to go well together



Beading with a grandson asleep on her lap



Local women keep busy and productive in a fun, social way

The "grannies" hold a meeting every Wednesday in the library, and they loved watching Martha try on African clothing.
 Once dressed in her African attire," Granny" Martha decided to join the grannies, at least for a photo or two.





We also welcomed three new senior missionary couples last week, Brent and Charlene Lee, who were serving here as humanitarian missionaries when we got here, but left the day after we arrived. They have returned to Johannesburg to serve in the Family History Center, along with Brent's brother Allan and his wife Cindy. They call themselves the ElderLee's. We took them with us to a wonderful Soweto Stake Conference on Sunday and had them over to our flat, with Elder & Sister Walton, for Sunday dinner. The third couple, the Gattens are a Public Affairs couple and got here just in time for the annual National Public Affairs Directors conference at the Royal Elephant Hotel and Conference Center in Centurion, where the PA directors from 23 African countries gathered, including some dear friends of ours, Suzan Apodi Mwanga from Uganda and Womba Makuwa Nashiwaya from Namibia. We met them at the Royal Elephant and took them to the Cattle Baron for lunch.

 

Dinner in Flat 410. Left to right, Liz Walton, Charlene Lee, Cindy Lee, Martha, Chuck Walton, Brent Lee and Allan Lee

Dinner at the Cattle Baron in Centurion with national Public Affairs directors Sussie Apondi Mwanga of Uganda (left)
and Womba Makuwa Nashiwaya of Namibia, dear friends in town for the National Public Affairs Directors Conference



At the Royal Elephant with Sussie and Womba