Asked to describe your grandparents, you may conjure fond childhood memories of trips to the park or going round for your favourite dinner after school. You may live just around the corner and see your grandparents daily or they might be a welcome voice on the phone, brightening your day from afar.

Elaine Chong discovers just why it is that grandparents matter so much to us and she finds out what happens when grandparents step in to raise their grandchildren.

In the township of Umlazi, near Durban in South Africa, she meets a group of grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren singlehandedly, after the children lost their parents in the Aids pandemic. She uncovers research showing grandmothers have played a vital role in the survival of their grandchildren for centuries, especially before modern medicine and support services existed. She hears the incredible story of an 11-year-old boy who is being raised by his grandparents and repays their devotion, by saving his grandad’s life. Have you ever stopped to consider why your grandparents hold such a dear place in your heart? Elaine hears evidence all those childhood visits, trips and gatherings play an important and lasting role in shaping our personalities.

Presenter: Elaine Chong Producers: Ben Robinson, Nicola Dowling and Carl Johnston Editor: Andy Smith

(Photo:Grandmother’s at the Community Centre, Umlazi, South Africa. Credit Nkosinathi Shange)

Word Podcast 174 - with Danny Baker