Griet Messelaar, the oldest living Griqua woman, turned 103 on New Year’s Day – and is still going strong.
The ouma, born in 1920, has lived through a world war, apartheid, and three pandemics.
These days she uses her long acquired wisdom and knowledge to help enrich her community and jong vroue.
Ouma Griet, who lives with her second eldest son Aaron in Elsies River, believes her secret to long life is to always show respect, and use herbal medication when one is sick.
She has also never drunk even a glass of wine or smoked a cigarette.
If there is een ding that is different from the time she grew up in and now, it would be the kos, Ouma Griet says.
She remembers how mense had personally prepared their meat by slaughtering livestock themselves and putting it over hot coals.
“Now everything is bought in shops and butcheries,” she explains.
This is why the ouma also believes in planting her own veggies.
In her spare time she uses what she calls “grace” (time) to teach the younger generation about their history, and gives them lessons in needlework.
She advises the jongertjies to honour their parents, respect the elderly and to not throw away their lives using drugs and alcohol.
Aaron says his mom raised him and his eight siblings as a single woman from when he was six years old.
He adds that her strength inspires him every day: “She is 103, she still speaks, she still walks and she still inspires. The best part is she has no sickness like blood pressure or diabetic problems.”
One of Griet’s fondest memories was when Nelson Mandela arrived by helicopter at Griquatown in 1995.
“She has a great memory, she remembers everything and that is one thing we’re thankful for, that we can learn authentic history from someone who was there,” Aaron says.