Author: Olwethu Wessels

By Olwethu Wessels It began as a simple idea between two enthusiastic and optimistic women — geography lecturer Philippa Irvine and Honours student Sonwabise Zothimba — and has grown into a community movement that’s breathing new life into one of Makhanda’s oldest landmarks, the Makana Botanical Gardens, fondly known as Bots. The spark started when Zothimba, who has a background of environmental science from her undergraduate studies, joined the Rhodes Geography Department to explore cultural geography for her postgraduate research. She met Irvine, a human geographer whose research looks at gardens as cultural and historical expressions, and who who has…

By Olwethu Wessels  Something is happening in a cosy lounge inside Settlers Close retirement home, and it involves baskets of wool, knitting needles on the go and an important mission. It was hot outside the day Grocott’s Mail called but this room oozed extra warmth – from the spirit of the women who gather there to knit. Lines of Father Christmas dolls are ready for seasonal duty. Vibrant blues, pinks, reds, and greens spill from wool baskets. But there’s serious purpose to the other dolls that roll off the knitters’ needles. For young children who have experienced abuse in any…