Julia

Julia has been working with Sue Anne for 25 years. She started working in her garden and taking care of her horse before the existence of Vhutshilo Mountain School.When the school started in Sue Anne’s mobile home in 2002, Julia became the cook and cleaner and Sue Anne was the teacher and driver.

In 2004 when the school moved to Tshikombani she became the cook and  supervises the kitchen staff, controls the stock room and helps run the second hand clothes kiosk one day a week. Julia says she is very happy to work with ‘Suzy’, and it is exciting because not every day is the same, and she likes all the visitors.

She had three children but unfortunately her husband kicked her out of her house when he brought another wife home.  When Suzi met her she was staying in a small wooden structure covered with black plastic, and Suzi slowly helped her to build a small house, which she has improved on over the years of working at VMS. Two of her sons have good jobs in Johannesburg, and her third son lives in the village and constructs and fixes roofs. She has one grandchild that she takes care of in her home, and who attended her early schooling at Vhutshilo