An Awesome Granny

We’ve talked about the “Hero Grannies” that we’ve met here in Africa, but we were especially awestruck with Granny Anna. We met her a few years ago in a remote village. She was caring for two granddaughters after their mother died.

The younger granddaughter, Thandi, became a Bakhita girl and is currently in grade 9 at St. Brendan’s. The older daughter married and had a child three years ago. She and her husband both died last year. Great-granny, now 70 years old, graciously accepted the care and raising of their child who was left behind.

Granny missed Thandi since St. Brendan’s school resumed in January, and being a grandmother, she was concerned that Thandi was being fed properly. Yesterday, she walked and rode shuttle taxis for more than thirty very rough miles while carrying and walking with three-year old Karabo. Her reason for visiting was to bring Thandi two dishes of home-cooked food – porridge and spinach. We welcomed her to our house and had a great time showing her old photos and providing drinks and food.

We always keep a few small stuffed animals and treats for unexpected guests.

The amazing part of Anna’s trip is that she had no planned way to return to her village! Talk about living in faith. Her faith prevailed and we gave her a ride home. Fortunately, Dinah was able to accompany us to translate and help to find the village. It’s difficult to describe how rough the last several miles are even for a AWD big vehicle. To think of Granny setting out with a young child, a bag of food, a desire to see her granddaughter and deep faith is beyond words. Kudos to Grannies . . . and Great-Grannies!