‘GGC awards brought us together’

*This article is from our 2020 edition of our On The Field CHW magazine and has been slightly edited. When asked what he planned to do with the prizes he won, which included cash and a scale, Nkomazi’s top-performing Community Health Worker (CHW), Nhlanhla Mkhonza from the Ntunda team said he didn’t know yet. Chance to…

Going the extra mile pays off

“My shift ends at half past four but sometimes I work until six o’clock and I don’t mind. I’m always willing to work much longer,” said Tintswalo Gladys Mabunda from Nkomo Village in Giyani. It is this dedication that saw Mabunda crowned Giyani’s top Community Health Worker (CHW) by Grow Great Champions (GGC) in 2019.…

Sibongile’s strategy for success

When Sibongile Novunga took over the leadership of a former Grow Great Champions (GGC) coach’s club, she had no idea that she would accomplish so much with her group of dedicated community health workers (CHWs). Her club, Mgobodi, finished top of the GGC Superleague scoreboard in 2019 with 10 929 points. Following that, GGC announced at…

A dream deferred, not denied

“Winning this award means a lot to me because I now see myself as the nurse of my community,” remarked Cyndi Mnisi as we caught up with her at the end of the Grow Great Champions (GGC) ceremony, where she was named Community Health Worker (CHW) of the year. Mnisi had always dreamed of becoming…

Sowing the seeds of change

It can be easy to forget that you are in Johannesburg’s inner city when you enter the Bertrams Inner City Farm. The farm is not far from the famous Ponte Tower in Hillbrow, and just a few blocks away from the Ellis Park Stadium, and many people would find it hard to believe that food…

Beating the blues

Like any young mother-to-be, 14-year-old Tintswalo Chauke* was terrified when she found out she was pregnant. The fact that she was not prepared for a child and that she still had her studies to worry about resulted in her becoming depressed. “My depression was caused by the pregnancy. I had not had my period for…

A cup of tea with Sister B

Grow Great Champions (GGC) Master Trainer Bernardette Robertson had always wanted to make a difference in people’s lives since she was a teenager. Her desire to care for others, especially in times of need, would see her move from her hometown of Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast to Johannesburg after matriculating. She later became…