BECOMING A SANGOMA

Gogo Tirelo never envisioned her life taking the path that it has taken.In all of her wildest imaginations, it never occurred to her that one day she will be a trained and practising ‘Ngaka ya Setswana from Malawi’.But the signs that this was her destiny have always been there, only that it took her this long to see what has been in front of her eyes for most of her life.Born Nollie Ngwira-Moeng, the Ramotswa born healer, Sangoma, student of spirituality, herbalist and mmamosebeletsi recently returned from her initiation, and has embraced her calling wholeheartedly.A grounded healer, the married mother of two boys is now changing the way that some people view traditional healers, Sangomas and their craft.For some when they hear that one is a Sangoma, they might expect to see a rugged, unkempt looking healer. But that is not her. When she is working, she is grounded and respects all traditions that come with being a healer. Her other side is very fashion conscious. When she is not on work mode, she is the epitome of beauty and class.Gogo Tirelo now wants society to see the beauty that lies in this path of hers, and not be scared to seek help if ever they need it. A creative person, one who is passionate about presentation, this is the same route that she takes when it comes to her work as what she jokingly terms ‘Ngaka ya Setswana from Malawi.’She has also taken this route with the presentation of her herbs, presenting and packing them in a unique way. Her herbs are neatly packaged in branded packaging. She is also taking bookings for consultations and cleansing physically and online. Interestingly, about this new path of hers is how she is opening up the whole conversation around spirituality. She was among the healers at the inaugural Vula Healing Space held at the Wild Tree venue in Tlokweng.At the event, which aims to transform how society looks at spirituality, divination and healing, she consulted guests, offered tshidilo (massage) services for expectant mothers, as well as those who are struggling to conceive.She also offered limited herbal concoctions for the womb, and skin, dream interpretations, and herbs to chase away evil spirits.Last year, after going back and forth, and through sleepless nights, Gogo Tirelo decided that she had nothing to lose by embracing her destiny. She packed her bags, bid her family goodbye, and disappeared for a few months.She had gone to Bloemfontein in South Africa for literally the unknown. Like those before her, Go-Thwasa or initiation was not a walk in the park. She entered a whole new world that opened her eyes to a whole new experience.It was the most difficult and challenging period of her life. She had left behind her husband, children and loved ones – a soft life so to speak, to adapt to a whole new life.Contrary to popular belief that being a Sangoma is now trending and in fashion, this is something that does not sit well with her. If indeed being a Sangoma was fashionable as some claim, this is not the case with her.She explains that after everything that she went through, and the almost guerrilla training, she would have abandoned that training fast if that had been the case. But like most in her field, it was beyond her control.“If I had a choice, I would not have taken this path. It was difficult, lonely, heavy and painful,” she explains.Narrating her story, she tells The Midweek Sun that she has not known happiness for years. She has dealt with one health condition after another from as far back as primary school.She remembers missing school, and always being in and out of hospital. Sadly, she has watched as her peers and friends progressed in life, while she struggled to find happiness.She remembers being a sickly child for years. It all started with unexplained headaches and fainting. This continued until her university days. At some point, doctors even diagnosed her with migraine.“I had these severe headaches, which would lead to fainting and I would wake up after a few hours,” she explains. Baffled by these unending health issues, her parents were lost for words, and tried as much as they could to minimise her movements lest she had one of her attacks while away from home.Her health issues also meant that her parents were financially strained, and were running out of options with regards to how they could assist her.She recalls having dreams where she would be chased by animals, or she would dream being in water.Giving a bit of history about her family background, she reveals that she comes from a family of healers, one of which happened to be her late uncle, although he did not embrace this path.Relating one of her scariest experiences of being sick, she says one day she was taken to the Bamelete Lutheran Hospital where doctors could not get a pulse.“My parents were informed that there was nothing that could be done, and it was final. They were even about to cover me with a sheet,” she explains.But her father refused to accept that his daughter had gone just like that. And so, they took her to another health facility for a second opinion.They drove to Gaborone Private Hospital, where she arrived still cold. A faint pulse was picked, and hope was restored. The following day she regained consciousness but could not talk or walk.“There was no medical explanation as to why that had happened. I was diagnosed with epilepsy and migraines, and was taking up to 16 pills at a time,” she says.On her third year at university, she had another health scare. She suffered an unexplained stroke. Her mother, a staunch Roman Catholic had never considered that what she was going through might require traditional healers.A friend of her mother, referred her to a healer in Ratholo who was said to be very good when it comes to massaging and assisting stroke patients. After everything that she has gone through with her training and the challenges that she has faced, she now fears nothing.“I fear nothing in life,” she says. Her family would embark on the trip to Ratholo every weekend, for three months. My parents stood with me through that hardship,” Gogo Tirelo explains.She would suffer from two stroke attacks again. This constant battle with her health meant that she finished school later than her peers. It also meant that she missed out on things that she loved such as pageantry.In 2013, she had her first son and was engaged to be married, but called off the wedding a few months before the set date. “I had a dream where I was the first one to arrive at the altar, and the groom was nowhere to be seen,” she says.Besides physical sickness, other signs that she had a calling included depression and easily losing interest in whatever she was doing. “This happens when you have a calling. I also had back pain and was anxious about a lot of things,” she points out.“I watched as my friends were progressing in life, and I had a void. Nothing was working out for me. I tried selling clothes and was doing odd jobs, but I would quit after a while,” she says, adding that as soon as she thought there was light at the end of the tunnel, she would lose interest.In 2017, she met her husband, Thato Moeng, and it looked like things were falling into place. “I never knew that happiness existed, and my husband was trying to assist me to start businesses but still it was a struggle,” she says.In 2020, he suggested that they seek alternative assistance. She would be informed that she had a gift, and that her life would never be okay until she accepted that gift. “My husband told me that I have suffered for years, and that I should go for it,” Gogo Tirelo explains.In December 2020, she got married, but even as a new bride, she was missing something.She comes from a family of three generations that did not heed their call. She also feared that if she took this route of not embracing her calling, this would affect her children. And her fear was not far off. Her children started to fear sleeping alone in their room, and would share that they were seeing things.“My kids were now getting my dreams,” she notes. She consulted for the second time, and was informed that she would continue to struggle until she made things right by accepting her gift.She finally decided to take her gift seriously last year. Her face was changing, and it appeared that things were taking a turn for the worst.“My aunt in SA was also telling me that my gran was strangling her. In June last year, I was sick, extremely sad, and my face was changing. I was even afraid to look in the mirror. I told my family that I had nothing to lose, but to embrace the unknown,” she adds.Upon arrival in her new home, she got the shock of her life. Every morning, she was up at 0230hrs to boil water for the rest of her new family, take a quick bath and by 0300hrs they were all ready for the day.“There were times when I wanted to quit,” she says. The training itself was not smooth sailing, and was a lot of work.She arrived in Bloemfontein on Friday, and by Saturday, she had a newfound energy and was healed. When she called home, she learnt that her children were also sleeping well. “All of these kept me going, and motivated me to stay,” she says.Gogo Tirelo is still learning how to handle and control her gift. This includes dealing and handling being around big crowds, which can drain her sometimes as she picks energies from other people.She has also learned that with this new path, she has had to make some adjustments to her life, and might not do some of the things that she used to do such as going out with friends to big festivals and events.“I live with ‘these people,’ and I am learning how to block them,” she explains. She shares her life as Gogo Tirelo through social media via live sessions on Facebook, and it gives her a chance to talk and advise Batswana about various issues.But being alive means that she is always picking different energies, and conditions that people have. She is happy and has found fulfilment after accepting her destiny. She has found the missing puzzle piece to her life.“I never experienced this type of joy,” Gogo Tirelo says.

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BECOMING A SANGOMA