Eat healthy, be active and live very long

Longevity is not a strange concept to the community at Mabvete village, near Tshiungani. The little village boasts a centenarian who believes in eating healthy food and staying active.

Nyadzani Sarah Ndou (107) and her daughter, Vhulahani Selinah Mulaudzi (79), attribute their long life to their religious beliefs and the grace of God that guided them from their childhood until their old age today. The mother and daughter are staunch members of the United African Apostolic Church (UAAC).

Commonly referred to as the “university of wisdom” by local residents, Sarah and Selinah are frequently visited by community members who want to learn about the culture and traditions of the Vhavenda people.

Sarah, who was born on 11 January 1911, said she had seen life evolving through various stages until today. “There were no proper houses then, and we used to stay in mud houses thatched with grass and reeds. There were no wooden doors and we used “masase” to enter and exit our huts. The households were very far from each other and we used to walk on narrow paths as there were no roads.”

She said she did not go to school because elders warned that girl children would become mentally disturbed if they attended school. She shares her recipe of old age: “If you want to have long life, eat healthy food, stay away from alcohol and do a lot of physical work. Although I can no longer walk on my own, I do some house chores to keep myself busy and strong. I don’t bear any grudges against anybody and I comfort myself by the Bible, which says that the righteous will live long. I thank God for giving me a long life and I’m still looking forward to more years.”

Her daughter, Selinah, who was born on 2 January 1939, said she never drank alcohol all her life. “I work all day cooking, smearing cow dung on the floor, working in my vegetable garden and walking to the bush to collect firewood. When I sit down doing nothing, I feel like there is something missing in my body. I seldom get sick because I am physically fit and healthy.”

She said she and her mother enjoyed eating fruits and vegetables and did not prefer meat. “We can rather go for fish, mopane worms or dried vegetables instead of meat. Alcohol is a taboo to us and we drink a lot of water on a daily basis.”

Date:13 August 2018

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