Gogo Manzini is a herbalist and has the gift of knowing that plants have enough spirit to transform limited vision and heal. She was born as Thabo Mahlangu but is now referred to as Tyra. She describes herself as homosexual and gay. This season gogo invests in school kids by donating school shoes and socks.
Tyra says “Gogo Manzini is my spiritual name which I got from entwaseni”. Entwaseni is a process spiritual healers go through as part of their training. She further elaborates that she is with gogo Manzini and that she carries gogo within her. “I’m a community healer before a traditional healer” she expresses. She heals her community and the public at large by using traditional herbs. The path of becoming a healer is never an easy one but gogo says” despite it all I experienced inner peace and gained the understanding of my African tradition after my transition”.
The healer has an excessive gift of performing rituals for luck, money, protection of homes and business’s. Gogo Manzini is called to heal and aims to heal not only in traditional ways but by implementing ways to build a better South Africa. She has a positive initiative where she aims to give to school kids from disadvantage backgrounds shoes and socks. Gogo is a firm believer in the spirit of giving back and in investing in children. “The key to happiness starts by giving back” she says. Tyra is most excited to give back during the festive season as it’s a season of giving back.
The traditional healer is currently based in Embalenhle in Mpumalanga. Her parents divorced when she was 6 years of age which resulted in her being raised by her late aunt that allowed her to blossom with adequate guidance.
Manzini says “ growing up without both parents proved to be difficult for me and my three siblings and that opened the door to hardship and poverty“. During cold weather’s Tyra remembers how her feet would get cold due to torn shoes and socks that had holes. “The reality is people’s educational journey starts with a pair of shoes” she says.
Donating school shoes and socks is a project that tells a story about her personal experience. She would like to close the gap and ease the pain to those kids that she can relate to. Her healing nature explodes from her soul and trickles into the physical world where she stretches out her helping hand to South Africa.
Gogo wants to put a smile on 50 school kids. She is calling out on all children who qualify to write to her and tell her why they think they should be beneficiary of school shoes and socks. Those interested are encouraged to contact her on 072 448 1478 or tmahlangu808@gmail.com .
Mahlangu’s first point of contact is her community and says “when people come to me they want to be helped and want to be healed”. Furthermore she explains by saying “shoes carry a lot of dignity, shoes carry a lot of confidence and lack of confidence can make a child not focus’s at school. Gogo Manzini sponsors the whole initiative from her own pocket and is happy to keep at it as long as she is making a positive impact.
“I was defiantly called to heal the society through my traditional gift and in other innovative ways. I certainly sleep much better at night knowing that I put a smile on someone’s face” gogo Manzini concludes.
By Sandra Lesenyeho
