Mama Christina Thenjiwe Kaba has held onto her original “dompass” in the hope that it would become a part of history someday; the Nelson Mandela Foundation have made her dream a reality.
Khayelitsha, South Africa (23 February 2023) – Mama Christina Thenjiwe Kaba has become a part of South African history thanks to the Nelson Mandela Foundation. She has been carrying her Apartheid-issued passbook since 1968 as a reminder of all the struggles she has overcome.
She has held onto the passbook since 1994, hoping it could be preserved as a part of history. That dream has finally become a reality.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation has accepted the passbook into its archives. Abalimi Bezekhaya, an organisation based in Khayelitsha, shared Mama Kaba’s story. The handover took place at the Moya WeKhaya community garden last week.
“This has been a long long dream of mine, to have my “dompas” become part of history in a museum or historical place. I have kept it all these years as a reminder of where we come from, teaching my children and grandchildren about our past in South Africa.
Now it will “rest” at the Nelson Mandela Foundation archives, and serve as an important lesson to everyone from near and far, preserved for generations to come. Thank you so much for making this dream possible, I feel so proud and at peace” – Mama Kaba
The Abalimi Bezekhaya – Hope of the Nation, teaches people to grow home and community gardens. The organisation was founded in 1982 and has helped people bridge the gap by growing their own food. The organisation works alongside Ladles of Love’s “Feed the Soil” programme, turning food waste into compost which is used to produce food for other organisations.
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