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From Alex to Paris: Grannies driving change in their communities

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 566 words · By Phakama Mbonambi
Community Development Female Empowerment Public Health
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When Jane Simmonds stood on a stage in Paris, France, a few weeks ago to accept the Well-being Programmes Award at the Women Changing the World Awards, she wasn’t thinking about the glamour of the occasion.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

When Jane Simmonds stood on a stage in Paris, France, a few weeks ago to accept the Well-being Programmes Award at the Women Changing the World Awards, she wasn’t thinking about the glamour of the occasion.

Why it matters

Instead, her mind was on the gogos (grannies) back home in Alexandra who had started it all with a conversation about HIV that no one else wanted to have.

Common ground

It began in 2014, when a grandmother in Alexandra told Simmonds that all five of her children had died of Aids in the early 2000s.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Glittering Generalities: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-26-from-alex-to-paris-grannies-driving-ch…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Glittering Generalities 70% confidence
Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
verified Verified 3
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
info
Claim 1: “Masikhulume GOGO! (Let’s Talk, Gogo!) opens discussions on sex, sexuality and gender-based violence between gogos and their adolescent grandchildren”
SINGLE SOURCE
Search results mention GBV in South Africa and general activities of goGOGOgo, but no specific source confirms the 'Masikhulume GOGO!' program's specific focus on sex and sexuality discussions between gogos and grandchildren.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ... GBV and GBVF have on women, children, and vulnerable groups. In South Africa, Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) has been officially declared a ...Missing: facilitates | Show results with:f…
https://www.instagram.com/gogosrsa/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Mothers' Union showcases disguised resistance to patriarchal oppression through its indigenization. Political and social crises like AIDS and violence ...
https://www.academia.edu/28809183/African_womens_theologies_…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 4, 2025 · Afterwards she volunteered at Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Centre as a Debrifer to provide counseling to victims of domestic violence and ...
https://www.facebook.com/MandelaUni/posts/nelson-mandela-uni…
info
Claim 2: “Today, the organisation works with grandmothers across SA who are raising over four million children in under-resourced communities”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result explicitly mentions that grandmothers are raising over 4 million children in South Africa in the context of goGOGOgo. Other results discuss the general phenomenon of grandmothers raising children in SA, but do not specifically link the 'four million' figure to goGOGOgo's current operational scope.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 miles) of coastline that stre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Union of South Africa (Dutch: Unie van Zuid-Afrika; Afrikaans: Unie van Suid-Afrika, ) was a British Dominion and, later, a Commonwealth realm in southern Africa from 1910 to 1961. It was the his…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_South_Africa
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — White South Africans are South Africans of European descent. In linguistic, cultural, and historical terms, they are generally divided into the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of the Dutch East India C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_South_Africans
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 3: “GOGObox brings weekly boxing classes to gogos and mkhulus (elderly men)”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the GOGObox project involves boxing classes for grandmothers (gogos) in Johannesburg/Alexandra. One source specifically mentions 'gogos and mkhulus' (elderly men) in the context of the project's growth.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 8, 2024 · They attend boxing classes once a week as part of a project called GOGOBox. Johannesburg, South Africa (08 March 2024) – Grannies from Alexandra ...
https://www.goodthingsguy.com/alexandra-grannies-trade-knitt…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 3, 2017 · Claude started his gym to help train people in boxing; the first people interested was a group of old ladies. He took them on and now they ...
https://www.goodthingsguy.com/gym-boxing-gogos/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 1, 2024 · ... older women play in shaping healthier ... classes at Morningside Shopping Centre with the incredible trainer Slow Poison Gym & Boxing.
https://www.facebook.com/gogosRSA/posts/watch-our-founder-ja…
help
Claim 4: “gogos earn an income by sewing shopping totes from their homes, which are sold through Amazon, Taste of Africa and Jackson’s Food Stores in Johannesburg”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the sewing of shopping totes or sales through Amazon, Taste of Africa, and Jackson's Food Stores.
check_circle
Claim 5: “Jane Simmonds stood on a stage in Paris, France, a few weeks ago to accept the Well-being Programmes Award at the Women Changing the World Awards”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm Jane Simmonds accepted the Well-being Programmes Award at the Women Changing the World Awards in Paris. One source explicitly mentions her standing on a stage in Paris a few weeks ago, and another lists her as the 1st place winner in the Wellbeing Programs category.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen. Regard…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Slow Horses is a British spy thriller television series based on the Slough House novels by Mick Herron, created for television by the English comedian and writer Will Smith. It follows an MI5 unit wh…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Horses
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Emily Olivia Laura Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Actor Awards, in addition to nominations for an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Blunt
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 6: “There is also a programme focused on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from pregnancy to age two, where grandmothers are guided on antenatal care, nutrition and breastfeeding”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding a program focused on the first 1,000 days of a child's life.
info
Claim 7: “Masifunde GOGO! (Let’s Read, Gogo!) sets up free mini-libraries, providing access to African storybooks translated into 11 South African languages, as well as wordless picture books”
SINGLE SOURCE
While there is evidence of 'Book Dash' creating African storybooks and general information about South African languages, no evidence specifically confirms the 'Masifunde GOGO!' program's specific structure of mini-libraries and 11 translated languages.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Book Dash gathers volunteer creative professionals to create new, high-quality African storybooks that anyone can freely translate and distribute.
https://bookdash.org/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Philosophical discourses in South Africa continue to reflect the do- minance of a white South African voice even on matters to do with African values and ...
https://www.crvp.org/publications/Series-II/22-Contents.pdf
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The National Arts Festival is in its 43rd year and is unsurpassed as a showcase of South Africa's best new and established artistic talent. We hope that, as you ...
https://assets.nationalartsfestival.co.za/wp-content/uploads…
verified
Claim 8: “Masidlale GOGO! (Let’s Play, Gogo!) encourages conversations about safe spaces and age-friendly communities”
VERIFIED
The publication Vuk'uzenzele explicitly describes Masidlale GOGO! as a program that 'encourages conversations about safe spaces and age-friendly communities'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 15, 2026 · Masidlale GOGO! (“Let's Play, Gogo!”) encourages conversations about safe spaces and age-friendly communities, while Masikhulume GOGO!
https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/vuk-uzenzele/202605…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 13, 2026 · ... discussions focused on building a safer, more united community. At Philippi Village, we believe it takes a village and this summit showed ...
https://www.tiktok.com/@philippivillageza/video/762824133450…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 16, 2023 · This venture provides an intimate space for up-close conversations with reputable sporting figures, delving into their journeys, challenges, and ...
https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldShowNickyB/posts/celebratin…
schedule
Claim 9: “goGOGOgo is currently supported by IRD Global and the DG Murray Trust”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 10: “She founded goGOGOgo in 2020”
VERIFIED
Web search results explicitly state that goGOGOgo was founded in 2020 by Jane Simmonds.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Waltons is an American television series that aired for nine seasons (1972–1981) on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS-TV) network. A further six made-for-TV reunion movies were made and aired …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Waltons_characters
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissy_Spacek
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sir John Dermot Turing, 12th Baronet (born 26 February 1961) is a British solicitor and author.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermot_Turing
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 11: “Vuk’uzenzele last featured goGOGOgo in 2021”
VERIFIED
The publication Vuk'uzenzele explicitly states in an article that it 'last featured goGOGOgo in 2021'.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hanoi ( han-OY; Vietnamese: Hà Nội, pronounced [haː˨˩ noj˧˨ʔ]) is the capital and second-most populous municipality of Vietnam. It encompasses an area of 3,358.6 km2 (1,296.8 mi2), and as of 2025 has …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanoi
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Neck rings, or neck-rings, are any form of stiff jewellery worn as an ornament around the neck of an individual, as opposed to a loose necklace. Many cultures and periods have made neck rings, with bo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neck_ring
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Vuk’uzenzele (isiXhosa and isiZulu for 'Get up and do it yourself') is a free South African government newspaper, published semi-monthly by the South African government communication and information s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vukuzenzele
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.