She is 100 years old and still going strongly. Nyamuofhe Nevondo’s firstborn son is a 74-year-old pensioner!

She has nine grandchildren and 13 greatgrandchildren. The strong gogo stays at Lwamondo village. She and her late husband Lucas had four children and all of them are still alive.

Nyamuofhe was born on June 20, 1906. Although she has a hearing problem and her eyes cannot see clearly, she is still going strongly and she can walk unaided and has a vegetable garden in her yard, which clearly demonstrate her strength and hope to celebrate more birthdays. With her razor-sharp mind, Nyamuofhe is always surrounded by inquisitive community members who want to know about her golden days of yesteryear.

“I was born at Tshivhodza village, near Luonde, long ago. My parents died many years ago and I don’t exactly know when, because I never went to school…”

Her firstborn child is a well-known academic, Mukosi Nevondo (74), a former school inspector, who retired in 1998.

Nyamuofhe remembers the old days: “We used to stay in makeshift thatched huts and there were no houses like what you are seeing today. There were no schools, clinics or hospitals and roads. We used to travel for long distances on foot because there were no cars. The elders made animal skins for us to wear because there were no clothes then. The elders spent most of their time tilling the land for food and young boys and girls like us were responsible for looking after the goats. We drew water from the fountains, unlike what you do today from taps.”

She said she ran away and nearly broke her leg when she saw a white man for the first time in the mid-1900’s. “They came to our village on horseback and we did not know there were other people with a different colour from ours. They tried to speak to us with their complicated language, but we ran away…”

She says of the Second World War: “Girls and children were not allowed to take part in the war of Muzheremane (German war) and only men were forcefully taken to the war. Many relatives went to war and never came back…”

She explains how fire was made: “There were no matches and we used special stones which we crushed against each other. After a lot of pressure, the stones would become very hot and produce fire.”

Nyamuofhe says the secret of her long life is eating healthy food and listening to the elders. “I enjoyed fruits and vegetables throughout my life and I have never tasted alcohol. We played a lot of games, including ndode and that kept our bodies and minds strong. There were certain taboos that the elders told us not to do, and I believe that increased the days of our lives.”

She says today’s people are dying at young ages because of the food they eat and they have totally diverged from their traditional cultural practices. “I thank God because it has never been easy for any person to see more than two generations. That is why I pray on a daily basis before I go to bed.” She spends most of her time telling tales to her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. “It is a pity because there is no one documenting these stories. I would like more generations to know about our times, although I believe that I will still live for many years…”

He final advice is: “If you live a clean life like me, God will bless you and you will live long. Respect your elders and preserve your culture. Eat healthy food and distance yourself from alcohol.”