GOGOcare

GOGOS Supporting Mothers and New Babies

Project Aim

Support through the first 1000 days in a baby’s life is critical for both newborns and their mothers. During this vulnerable period, grandmothers have the potential to influence maternal and child health outcomes. GOGOcare works with grandmothers (gogos) who are third-generation caregivers with the aim to co-create culturally sensitive, evidence-based knowledge and skills in maternal and child health care in the first 1000 days. In addition the project aims to enhance intergenerational communication between gogos and their daughters or granddaughters for coordinated caregiving, and to build peer support networks among gogos for shared learning, emotional well-being, and mutual encouragement.

What is GOGOCare?

GOGOcare runs facilitated workshops for grandmothers with either pregnant daughters or granddaughters in the household or grandmothers looking after babies under 3 years old. These workshops share current maternal and child health (MCH) best practices with grandmothers, supporting them in their role as key decision-makers in multigenerational households. The curriculum covers antenatal care, newborn nutrition, early childhood development, maternal mental health, household budgeting, sensory play, exclusive breastfeeding and healthcare services.

The First 1000 Days of life are critical to a child’s long-term development, yet caregiver interventions often overlook grandmothers, locally known as gogos, in maternal and child health outcomes. In South Africa, nearly 8 million children aged 0-17 are being raised in 3.4 million grandparent-headed households, with 64.5% of these households headed by grandmothers. Even in triple-generation households where a parent is present, economic pressures - from unemployment, labour migration and hours-long commutes - increase the role of grandmothers in childcare.