Who Looks After the Gogos? Phefumula GOGO! Gives Older Caregivers Room to Breathe

Phefumula GOGO! is creating space for older caregivers in South Africa to pause, breathe and connect while supporting the grandchildren they raise.

Nearly eight million children in South Africa live in households headed by a grandparent, placing millions of older people at the centre of family life as caregivers, providers and decision-makers.

According to Stats SA’s 2023 data, about 3.4 million grandparents head households in which children live, with 64.5% of these households headed by grandmothers, commonly known as gogos.

For many of these women, caring for grandchildren is a full-time responsibility. Yet conversations about ageing and family wellbeing can overlook the pressures carried by the older people who are supporting the next generation.

Those pressures can include financial insecurity, grief and loss, caregiving stress, emotional labour, household decision-making and managing their own health needs while caring for children.

A new community initiative, Phefumula GOGO!, is creating space for these older caregivers to pause, breathe and connect, while giving them practical tools that can also be shared with the grandchildren they raise.

Who supports the people supporting everyone else?

The scale of responsibility carried by grandparent-headed households highlights why caregiver wellbeing matters beyond the individual.

Stats SA data shows that social grants are the main source of income for 48.4% of these households. Among households where grandparents live with children, 40.6% have no employed member, while 86.3% turn first to a public clinic when someone in the household becomes ill. Only 5.2% have medical aid cover.

For older caregivers, these circumstances can create a complex combination of financial, emotional and practical pressures.

“Gogos are often the people everyone turns to, but that can make it easy to overlook what they themselves are carrying. Their wellbeing needs to be part of how we think about the health of a household,” says Jane Simmonds, Founder of goGOGOgo.

The issue is particularly important because the wellbeing of the caregiver can influence the wider household. When an older caregiver is overwhelmed, the effects can be felt within the same family relationships that provide stability and support to children.

Creating space to pause and breathe

Phefumula GOGO! — meaning “Let’s Breathe Granny!” — is a community-based programme delivered by Breathwork Africa in partnership with goGOGOgo.

The initiative creates dedicated breathing and reflection sessions for gogos and the grandchildren in their care.

The pilot has reached more than 50 gogos and 10 grandchildren across Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng through three sessions. The programme was also presented at the World Congress on Public Health in Cape Town in September 2026.

Sessions take place in secure community settings and are facilitated by Breathwork Africa-certified practitioners. They combine guided breathing exercises with discussion, reflection and practical tools that participants can use beyond the sessions.

Participants are encouraged to identify the pressures they carry, notice how stress manifests in the body, practise structured breathing exercises and reflect on which techniques they find useful.

The intention is not to add another responsibility to already busy caregivers, but to give them simple tools they can use during difficult moments and share with the children they raise.

“Breath is the one resource every gogo already carries with her. It is free, always available, and belongs to everyone. Phefumula GOGO! begins there, giving gogos practical ways to pause, recognise stress and settle, and share those tools with the children they raise,” says Dr Ela Manga, Founder and CEO of Breathwork Africa.

Early feedback highlights connection and demand

The pilot gathered participant reflections before and after sessions, including feedback on confidence in using breathwork and participants’ experiences of the programme.

Early feedback points to lower perceived tension and stress, a strong desire for the sessions to continue and a greater sense of connection among participants.

Participants also reported that the group environment made it easier to talk about stress and coping, while helping them recognise similar experiences among their peers.

One gogo from Mpumalanga described how the breathing practice affected her response to a difficult moment at home.

“I used to go to my room after shouting at my grandchild and pray. After doing the Warrior Breath exercise, I felt relieved,” she says.

The organisers stress that these findings are preliminary and based on participant feedback. Larger participant groups, consistent measures and longer-term follow-up would be needed to establish the programme’s longer-term outcomes.

Why caregiver wellbeing matters

For families where grandparents are raising children, supporting the caregiver can also mean supporting the wider household.

Older caregivers may be navigating their own ageing and health needs while providing emotional support, supervision, food, education and stability for grandchildren.

That makes caregiver wellbeing an important part of broader community health conversations.

Rather than viewing older caregivers only as recipients of support, initiatives such as Phefumula GOGO! also recognise the knowledge, experience and relationships that gogos bring to their families and communities.

The programme’s intergenerational approach also gives grandchildren an opportunity to participate in practices that can help families talk about stress and emotional wellbeing together.

From pilot programme to community practice

Phefumula GOGO! is intended to complement existing health and social support services rather than replace clinical care.

The next steps include repeat sessions, peer-led practice, delivery through trusted community organisations connected to appropriate services and further research into the programme.

For goGOGOgo and Breathwork Africa, the broader goal is to encourage greater attention to the wellbeing of older caregivers within community health and family support programmes.

“Supporting gogos supports the children they raise and the community around them. We hope Phefumula GOGO! encourages more organisations to bring caregiver wellbeing into community health work,” says Simmonds.

The question at the heart of the initiative is simple: while gogos continue to care for children, families and communities, who is creating space for them to breathe?

For Phefumula GOGO!, the answer begins with making that space intentional — and recognising that the people caring for others also need care, connection and support.