Tanya Kangur 

Vaalwater, Limpopo, South Africa

I have been visiting Vaalwater town for the last three years now.  My co-workers and friends in the hospitality industry work and live 21 days in a row away from their homes. After this, they spend their six days off at home with their families

 

After all these years I'm still running into a language barrier. My Afrikaans is 'medium' at its best, and many of my friends first language is Sotho

Whenever I informed about their children and families, I kept getting the feeling that we weren't talking about the same concept. Some years, 3 childrens names were mentioned, the next year 5, and then 3 again. It intrigued me so when I got the chance to accompany them whenever they went home, I took my chance

 

Not all families are still 'intact'. Parents work hours away from home and can sometimes only visit once a month. Direct family is thus extended to aunts, unclres, grandparents, cousins, and other 'once removed' relatives or even neigbors

 

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