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Culture/People  Mhlongo Family |
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| Click on any image to view the full-size picture. |
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| Mhlongo(mmm-sh-loan-go) Family |
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Mhlongo Family | 
Benard Walking Home | 
Benard and Neighbor Boy |
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Benard and Wife | 
Thembi & Precious Mhlongo | 
Mhlongo Home 1 |
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Mhlongo Home 2 | 
Mhlongo's Kitchen | 
Precious Mhlongo's Bedroom |
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Thembi Mhlongo | 
Mhlongo Family at the LDS Temple | 
Sindisiwe |
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| | | | | "The Mhlongo family is a traditional Zulu family that lives on a small farm located midway between the townships of Esikhawini and Port Dunford near Richard's Bay, South Africa. Their home is located about one kilometer off the paved road. Access is via a sandy pot holed road that winds out through a grove of eucalyptus trees across a pasture and then through a sugar cane field. Benard(pronounced ben-urd not "ben-ard"), the father, works as a gardener for a housing complex in Richards Bay where he earns 605 Rand ($81) per month after transport costs. Since he doesn't have a car he takes a bus to work and back. He also grows a hectare(abt 2.5 acres) of sugarcane to supplement his income. They raise chickens, grow bananas, mangos, papayas, and tangerines, and have a small garden. The Mhlongo's are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Since the meetinghouse is located in Richards Bay (about 35 minutes away, they face challenges in getting there. Much of the time they walk the first 6 kilometers to Esikhawini to save the 15 Rand each way that it would cost the family. Both Benard and Sindisiwe are taking english classes and loving it. The Mlondo girls are teaching them. They are using the church's program and have two classes one taught by each girl so they can accomodate Sindisiwe who doesn't read or write zulu or english. She is in her 40's. Probably half of that generation especially the women couldn't go to school under apartheid because of a lack of schools." | | | | | |
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