A woman in KuGompo City has become a beacon of hope for many senior citizens in West Bank, treating them to a special occasion every month to help them fight mental and physical challenges.
Lucille Benfield, founder of the Vukani Legends Seniors Club’s monthly get-together programme, told Go! on Wednesday that she was inspired by the need to combat loneliness and isolation among seniors in the West Bank community.
She then founded Vukani Embrace Faith and Hope after recognising that many senior citizens in the area were disconnected from social activities and support networks, which impacted their mental and physical health.
“I noticed the seniors had no joy and were always sad and sickly, and had given up on life,” Benfield said.
“Many struggle with depression and anxiety, they have limited mobility and are unable to move around and enjoy their neighbourhood, the seniors are lonely and have nothing constructive to do.”
Benfield said she wanted to help keep the elderly fit mentally and physically.
Benfield has been running this programme since July 2025. The initiative already has more than 150 seniors on its register.
“In the beginning, there was only the West Bank area.
“Through the power and influence of social media, we were able to draw seniors from Mdantsane, Parkridge, Parkside, Buffalo Flats and Pefferville.”
They host social events every month with different themes, including arts and crafts, where seniors get involved in activities such as upcycling and painting.
“We thrive on wellness activities such as fitness classes, health talks, social games, entertainment and excursions such as the zoo for example.
“We invite different speakers, and we make sure our programmes are inclusive and assist disabled seniors to be part of the activities.”
Benfield said many seniors in the West Bank are renting back rooms and have little to no family support.
“Their families neglect them, leaving them to be burdens to their landlords.
“The programme has been a lifeline for many of our elderly members.
“Last year, many struggled with depression, sadness, and even suicidal thoughts.
“Fast forward to today, and the transformation is remarkable. They’re hopeful, enthusiastic, and eager to connect with peers monthly.
“Their physical health has also improved dramatically. Some, once bedridden, now attend gatherings with walkers in hand.
“Others stand tall, grateful for the support and community. These monthly meetups provide a vital connection point, fostering friendships and a sense of belonging. Our seniors are thriving, and it’s a testament to the programme’s impact,” Benfield said.
She said donated food parcels would help them continue feeding seniors every month.
Benfield said people could donate blankets, toiletries, laundry soap, winter clothes and underwear.
“They cant afford groceries for themselves. We sometimes have to get some of them to hospital visits and check-ups, with the help of some community members who have transportation, such as our Pastor Danny, who diligently uses his own fuel and car to transport some seniors.
“We would like one day to have a bus to be able to assist our seniors to hospital, take them where they need to, and also help with outings and errands.
“All this they do with no funding as fundraising has not been doing so well.”
Besides increasing membership, Benfield said they would like to build a community centre.
“The centre can one day offer complete psychosocial support. We have a vision of building a seniors’ village, where it will be rent free.
“The centre will be an outlet for health services, activities and food security.”
She said they were looking for partners.
“Collaborate with us on events or services such as transports, venues and so on. Also spread the word and tell others about this initiative.”
Personal trainer Singwa Silinga, founder of Hercules Bootcamp, who recently hosted a free session for Vukani Legends, described the organisation as a “blessing in disguise”.
Silinga said Benfield had approached him about getting involved.
“Lucille is giving back dignity, hope and love back to our senior citizens,” Silinga said.
“We obviously were more than happy to be of service, upon us arriving, we saw the essence of what she was doing with her team of volunteers and helpers.”
He said his operations manager, Tandokazi Loqo, brought energy to the session.
“She got everyone to dance themselves silly, which was a weird, funny. It was a wonderful thing to see because it got everyone in stitches to see themselves dance again.”
Silinga said the session focused on simple movement.
“There were no barriers as to who was welcome, so my work was easy, to get them moving.
“We started off with a light warm up of basic fundamental human movement such as, lifting arms above heads, sitting down and standing up, touching their toes and lifting the knees above the waist.
“All these movements mimicked everyday tasks that we take lightly, but can give senior citizens so much dignity when done independently.”
He said the experience was deeply personal.
“This gave me so much perspective on what to value in my own life, so having to connect with this lot of wonderful people had me appreciate my own parents and my own life.”
Silinga said the session reflected ubuntu. “It was a great pleasure to be associated with this programme and we look forward to more events such as these with Vukani Legends.”
To get in touch with Benfield call 065-607-3528, for Silinga call 081-485-8518.
