DO NOT hold onto good ideas – you must share them with others.
This message drives Bonang Batjha Women’s Burial Society.
The women have been united for the past eight years – a sure sign that their bond is strong.
Whenever they meet, they share the ideas they have with each other.
Sannah Sasebola, a Batjha member, said they speak about more than death, fines and contributions at meetings.
“If you want to succeed you need to surround yourself with people who have the same mentality.
She said all societies, clubs and stokvels, big and small, have a mandate to achieve goals.
“We have also learnt that without the society we would have missed a lot.”
Once a month, the women meet at a member’s place in Barcelona or Etwatwa in Ekurhuleni and pay R170 each.
The hostess of the day cooks enough food for all 30 of them.
Sannah said: “All we ever seem to eat is chicken with rice or pap. Why can’t we change the menu?
“When it’s my time, I’ll serve dumplings, fish and spinach, and maybe one or two salads, as well as gravy.”
She said if there is a funeral, they gather at the home of the grieving family and cook.
Members who fail to help at funerals are fined R50.
The society also invites other societies to their meetings to boost fundraising.
The societies pay money to each other and this is how they are able to save more money at the end of the day.
They also get to sell plates of food for extra cash to other attendees.