Caring Across Continents

By Brendah Gaine

This book is following the journey of the author through her life in the 20th Century in a changing world.
It is written in a freestyle recording significant events that impacted the author’s life.
It gives family and personal history unique to the author with perceptions of life starting in Cape Town South Africa and travelling to the UK to train in a profession that influenced the author’s life for many years, picking up experiences that made an impression on a young life influencing decisions as she experiences maturing in working and social environments. It is written in chronological order mostly but as memories become relevant to the narrative there is a jump in time.
Some of the events are recalled in the past tense but there was an event that had to be recorded in the present tense because it gives the flavour of my parent and family scene which is very different from what would have been had the event been in the present day. It was that of my husband -to -be proposing marriage by letter and getting permission from my parents. Some would say those were Victorian values.
I hope that what comes across in the book is someone who faced challenges and found ways to overcome them whilst maintaining a sense of humour and lightness that demonstrates a woman that is resilient and who lives by principles of trust, respect, dignity and recognition that people have their own history that shapes their personality and helps to cope with life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Sep 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781728375472

Brendah Gaine

Brendah has a background in health care and teaching. She developed the curriculum for childcare workers in a tertiary training college. She taught the psychological aspects of learning activities in child development and was a founding member of a group of college tutors and educationalists who trained childcare tutors to look at curriculum issues and resources that focussed on unlearning racism and discrimination in the early years. She taught for fifteen years and organised conferences nationally and internationally as a trainer to address antiracist attitudes. She has worked in many countries and was a founder member of a charity in South Africa to support children and teenagers to cope with loss. The organisation still exists in South Africa. She worked as a psychotherapist with mental health charities in the United Kingdom and has recently retired.

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© 2022 Brendah Gaine. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/15/2022

ISBN: 978-1-7283-7548-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-7547-2 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 Introduction to family life

Chapter 2 Breaking Loose

Chapter 3 The Libyan Experience

Chapter 4 The Maltese Experience

Chapter 5 The Learning Curve

Chapter 6 Teaching

Chapter 7 Activism

Chapter 8 Turning 50

Chapter 9 Studying To Become A Psychotherapist

Chapter 10 Leaving Enfield And David

Chapter 11 2008 – A Difficult Year

Chapter 12 Years In The Field Of Mental Health

Chapter 13 Retirement

FOREWORD

The venture of sharing the family story with others is a generous gesture, typical of one always confident that she has a story to tell. And how well she is justified.

Born into the quiet life home of doting parents in a suburban community and reared by two brothers, Brendah earns the gentle art of living together.

Her choice of life partners Bill, her first husband, worked with her in Libya and Malta and Tom who coaxed her into pursuing academic nursing to professional status, demonstrates determination of another kind.

Brendah’s life is a rich account of a determination to succeed, particularly in the face of hardships.

I am her proud brother and ardent admirer.

James Richard Parker

BA Ed and BA Hons

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my brothers Dick and Dave Parker who have always welcomed me into their homes and are always interested in my wellbeing.

I enjoy a warm relationship with them and their families.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to David and Megan for helping me put these thoughts and experiences together and all the family and friends who read the first few chapters to guide me as to how to record my reminiscences and reflections

1.jpg

Brendah. Aged 9 months - 1943

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO

FAMILY LIFE

(I WILL USE TERMINOLOGY THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED POLITICALLY INCORRECT TO SOME BUT THOSE WERE THE TERMS USED DURING THE APARTHEID YEARS)

I was born in 1943 in Cape Town South Africa and in the Roberts family three other babies were born that year. I was born at home with a midwife who served the community and was a friend of the family. I can’t remember how many cousins we were altogether but we are certainly a close family. I remember having birthdays under the grapevine at our grandparents house in Eden Road which was the Roberts family home. My grandfather’s father had come from Scotland and had married a black woman and my grandfather was quite fair but was considered to be of mixed-race and So called coloured. My mother was one of 11 children. She and one other sister as well as two sisters-in-law were pregnant at the same time so my grandparents had four babies to expand the family. They were overwhelmed by the young babies in the family there was me being born in March and I was born prematurely and my cousin was born in April, Angela, and then another cousin called Malcolm was born in June and Lionel in July. My grandmother was born of German parents and the Wilhelm family was her father’s surname. They were from a place in Germany that I’m not sure of but he came to South Africa and had six children