My name is Jendayi and I am called Gogo.

Gogo is the term for “grandmother” in the region of South Africa where the name Jendayi “giving thanks” originated.

As with many African traditions, Gogo is not simply a title. It is a position of ascending status or embodiment,  e.g. Chief=Leader or Baba=Father  given to of a member of the clan. I am called Gogo by all members of my family, not just my grandchildren.

I first became interested in the various processes of pregnancy and birth when I gave birth to my daughter in 1982. At that time all of my peers and the women in my family followed a very typical American medical model of pregnancy and birthing. Alternative birthing was seldom discussed and when it was it was view very negatively.

Despite the negative view, I chose to explore Lamaze childbirth preparation because I wanted a more “natural process” of laboring and birthing. Interestingly enough, I chose my mother to be my Lamaze coach. She was born in 1938, at home in rural Mississippi with her Grandmother as the family Midwife. Yet upon hearing that I wanted to have my baby in a process closer to how she was born she was not initially encouraging. But in the end she did an excellent job as coach.

Fast forward 20 years to my final thesis project for a Master’s degree in school Counseling. I chose to research and create a Parent Support agency for Parents/Primary caretakers who had intellectual challenges. Childbirth preparation was one of the service offered as well as Educational advocacy and Independent Living Skills Training.

Upon completion of the degree I actually started the agency, got a doula certification and attended several births for about five years before taking on more Educational and Training aspects of the agency.

It’s been several years since I’ve attended a birth but the desire to support parents around birth is still present.

I am so excited to learn more of SMC’s focus on the African-American traditions of holistic maternal care.