We are one woman

“Let’s go meet the mama’s,” says Nonceba Cynthia Klaas, Old Mutual Sales Advisor (RMM) at the Idutywa Branch, Eastern Cape. It is a typical sunny morning in a typical Transkei town.  A stream of cars nudge their way in one direction through a congestion of cars moving in the other; taxi’s are being washed soapily at taxi ranks, their sliding doors open and music blaring, competing with the loud gospel coming from ‘God’s Blessing Hair Salon’ across the road; mongrel dogs with looped tails scavenge amongst roadside litter; sidewalks are crammed with vendors displaying stacks of balanced fruit and towers of Hart aluminum pots in ascending size, umbrellas made in China hang from fences, with suitcases and Tupperware and everything you could possibly need; all of which gets packed into red-white-blue striped plastic carryall’s, loaded onto bus roofs in between goats and chickens, or balanced on heads. It is messy and lively and chaotic and colourful. It is Africa.

Nonceba Cynthia Klaas

Cynthia Klaas is an Old Mutual Staff Community Builder and today we will visit her community project Sibanye Bomama (We are one woman). As an Old Mutual staff member involved with community work, she is eligible to apply for R20 000 funding from the Old Mutual Foundation to support her project. With a corporate workforce of approximately 16 000 employees, staff volunteerism is a core element of the Foundation’s focus and is actively encouraged and supported.  In the last three years, the Foundation has supported over 900 such projects, investing almost R14 million into the fabric of our society. Sibanye Bomama is a collective group of approximately 20 women who gather thrice weekly to make traditional Xhosa garments and beadwork. The funding provided to the group through Old Mutual's Staff Community Builder programme assisted them in purchasing work tables, sewing machines, fabric and beads. Their products generate an income for the group which is distributed accordingly. “I am so proud of them,” says Cynthia.


As we bump our way over a dirt road to the project, Cynthia tells me a bit of her life. She was born and grew up in Idutywa as the fifth-born of nine children. Her beloved father of 75 years has recently passed away on April 19^th and she points out his grave to me as we drive by, “it’s still hard to believe.”  At 44 years, Cynthia is about to become a grandmother because her oldest daughter Zikhona is expecting her first child. I am shown Zikhona’s wedding photos from last year. Cynthia’s youngest daughter, Ntombi is studying Marketing at DUT (Durban University of Technology).  Out of the blue, we are startled from our conversation as the sound of running water fills the car. Cynthia reaches into her apron pocket, retrieves one of three phones and proceeds to confirm our arrival loudly with one of the mama's. We think her ringtone is totally cool! As we drive, she gestures to a cow blocking the road causing Tim to slow down and swerve the vehicle, “Watch out for the Transkei robots,” she remarks.

Transkei robots!

Cynthia Klaas with the Sibanye Bomama group

Intricate beadwork

Cynthia wears her traditional outfit and beadwork for our interview.

We meet Mam Nobantu Dumalisile, the wife of the Chief of Willowvale, Jingqi Administrative District, who initiated this project. She introduces me to the group of ladies sewing and beading around a display of traditional products especially laid out on the floor for us. A tray of coffee and slices of cake sits courteously on a nearby table, under a gauze fly net. Mark and Tim are professionals and it’s such a pleasure working with them as they interact with the ladies, they know exactly what they’re looking for. The mama’s start to relax a bit (I think Mark climbing into a tree to photograph them really made them laugh) and towards the end of our visit, a song spontaneously starts. Timelessly and easily they begin to sway, clap their work-worn hands, shuffle bare feet, rhythmically harmonizing with each other, peacefully lulling me into the bosom of Africa herself. Even though my ears can’t understand the words, my heart understands that they are saying thank you. Before we leave, we are given a plastic packet filled with guavas. Again, I am reminded that even amongst the poorest of the poor, from Hermanus in Nieuwoudtville to the mama’s in Willowvale, in traditional cultures guests do not leave empty-handed.

Womandla is woman power. Mam Nobantu Dumalisile (far left), Old Mutual Staff Community Builder Cynthia Klaas (centre), Old Mutual Foundation, Louise Jones (far right)

The mama's gathered outside for Mark perched, to their amazement in a tree.. Cynthia (holding a traditional smoking pipe) is centre, stands next to the chief's wife (dressed in brown) Mam Nobantu Dumalisile.

We bundle into the bakkie to drive back to Idutywa. Tucked into the back of the car with Cynthia and I is the chief’s wife and I see firsthand the many benefits of the Staff Community Builder programme at work. Not only is there real impact in the community, but from a business point of view, this is truly what it means to build ‘brand’ in the community. Rounding a corner, we encounter a herd of cattle standing obstinately in the middle of the road. “This isn’t a robot,” declares Tim, “this is a roadblock!”

 The Gallery:

The mama's work together, talking and singing.

This is to show you a little more of what's involved with documenting these stories. Here Tim is interviewing Cynthia, who is answering my questions.

Mam Nobantu Dumalisile and Cynthia stand outside the building on the chiefs homestead which the Sibanye Bomama group currently use for their work.

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika (God bless Africa)



Rural schoolchildren walking from school

A loo with a view?