Witness.

Auntie Debbie and Auntie Gloria

Auntie Gloria arrived in Ocean View as a teenager, told by the government that because of the color of her skin, she was only allowed to live in certain areas of the country. Forced to leave her home in a beautiful area of Cape Town under the shadow of Table Mountain, bordered by the Atlantic coastline, she spent the rest of her life in a cement block of apartments that overflowed with drugs and violence to assuage the pain of rejection and injustice.

 She could have succumbed to the bitterness of apartheid and forced removals, but she turned her energy towards her community. A force of nature, Auntie Gloria was known for her love of God and her passion for connecting women together. She often convinced other women to walk in 5k fundraisers to raise money for food. She fed her hungry neighbors religiously, on a dependable schedule which she rarely missed. She prepared meals for anyone who came to her hungry. For years.

Auntie Debbie and Isabel paid a house visit to Auntie Gloria when her health took a turn and she was no longer able to get out of her house. A proper foot washing and massage were just what Auntie Gloria needed that day. 

“Glory, glory hallelujah” she sang out loud and off-key as Auntie Debbie poured relaxing oils onto her feet and tired legs. 

That was the last time we saw Auntie Gloria. Her funeral service was crowded with lives she had impacted. Some said it was the most people they’d seen packed into the Baptist church in town. 

Dear friends, what a joy to witness the life of Auntie Gloria and to love her well, not knowing that it was one of her last days on earth. What a joy to walk along the avoided streets of Ocean View and see the radiance emerging from hardship, resilience lighting a way for those who follow in her steps. 

This is the heartbeat of Havilah Collective in Ocean View. Despite the obvious pain, there is hidden gold here. There are traces of the Imago Dei in every face we meet. What a privilege to celebrate and reflect the beauty that defies all understanding.