More than 160 grandparents were treated to a special day by the staff and learners of Portland Primary School during the annual Grandparents Appreciation Day on Thursday 29 September .
During the three-hour celebration grandparents sat back and enjoyed the morning, some even let their hair down by dancing and singing to music from their youth which included Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, the Temptations and Elvis Presley.
While some were not forthcoming with their ages, the music told otherwise.
Beira Abrahams (85), from Tafelsig, was the eldest and when asked what was her secret to long life she said, “respect is key”.
“If you cannot respect yourself and others, you cannot expect to be respected in return. I grew up in a different era, where my child was your child and every parent in your street was your parent. If you were mischievous or in trouble with your neighbours, you’ll first get a hiding from them and when your parents returned from home the evening, a next hiding was waiting on you,” she says.
Abrahams was born in Roger Street in District Six in 1937.
During the 1950s her family moved to Lansdowne, where Oaklands High School and Chukker Road Sportfield is situated.
“When growing up in District Six or Lansdowne there was no apartheid, we all played together. I can still remember the first visit of the late Queen Elizabeth when she came with her parents and sister Margaret to South Africa. We were all standing with Union Jack flags on the road in Kenilworth while they were driving through the area. She also celebrated her 21st birthday in South Africa and now she has also passed on at the age of 96.
“In 1963 I got married to my late husband Abduraouf and he passed on eight years ago. We have three children, two girls and one boy, and their ages ranges between 58 and 54 years. I have 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren and one of my great-grandchildren, Ilyaaz Isaacs, a Grade R learner, invited me to today’s event,” Abrahams says.
The past 30 years she is a resident in Tafelsig.
“I cannot remember all the events in the eight decades which happened as you caught me unaware, but when my grand- or great-grandchildren come from school and ask questions about events in the past I’ll recall and relate it to them. In 1998 I also went to Mecca for the hadj and as hobbies I like to read, watch television and when my children and grandchildren were young, I even knitted jerseys and mittens. Nowadays I just relax and when Covid-19 hit us, my children were very protective and I had to stay indoors,” Abrahams says.
She has a big problem with today’s youth because they “don’t listen”.
“The majority of the youth don’t appreciate their parents or grandparents and the advice they are given. If the youth would only listen instead of backchatting the world would be a better place,” she says.
Mark Jenneke, principal who also joined in the singing and dancing with the special guests, says: “We do this event to show how we value and admire our grandparents as many of them play the role as Guardians and parents to our learners. So today we had a lovely brunch for them, and we had fantastic entertainment by Fagrie Isaacs Musical talents and Fuad Richards. The grandparents were dancing and had such a magnificent time,” says.
“I would also like to thank all our sponsors for making this event possible. Once again we truly appreciate all that our grandparents do for our learners and for all their support in assisting our school excel”.
