HUNGRY HOMES: At the heart of the home, gogo Toti goes without so grandchildren can eat
Gogo Thozama Toti (68) of Emaxelegwini near Ngcobo, Eastern Cape, routinely skips meals so her grandchildren can eat. Noodles for the kids, hunger for the adults in her three-roomed mud home.
Gogo Thozama Toti, 68, from Emaxelegwini near Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape, frequently skips meals so that her grandchildren can eat. In her three-roomed mud home, noodles are provided for the children while the adults endure hunger. The family of 14 members relies on a combined monthly income of R4,080, mainly from Gogo Toti's old-age grant of R2,400 and child support grants for her youngest grandchildren.
With five adult children and six grandchildren living in the settlement, unemployment plagues the family. Gogo Toti, struggling with arthritis since moving to the settlement in 2002, has been a domestic worker until her health forced her to stop working in 2021. To make ends meet, the family turns to borrowing money, often from family or friends, to purchase food, prioritizing essentials like samp and mealie meal.
The noodles prepared that morning are insufficient for all family members, while Gogo Toti and her adult children skip meals daily. Despite these hardships, Gogo Toti remains hopeful that the family's situation will improve.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
