What/How do you prefer to be called?
Frances Fuchs
Tell me about growing up – what were some of the influences in your life?
I was raised in a typical South African Afrikaans society. We were sheltered, spoilt with live-in ‘help’, conservative, church-going and happy. I was born in the 70’s in Pretoria and remember a happy care-free childhood.
My biggest influences were definitely my two grandfathers. I was very close to them both. My maternal grandfather, prof. F.R. Tomlinson, was a well-known agricultural economist and loved me dearly. He died before I became fully aware of politics, but he LISTENED to me, even as a young girl, something I felt lacking in my other relationships with adults.
My paternal grandfather, Douglas Fuchs, was an actor and an artist. He fuelled my love for literature and debate. We used to spend many hours discussing books and Afrikaans literature.
I understand now that both these men might be seen as ‘bad’ in the apartheid sense, but for me they have taught me so much of what I know and understand about humanity, equality, but especially love. My father, Anton Fuchs, has spent his life involved in politics and also encouraged my curiosities and I believe that my interests in sociology and social injustices were hugely influenced by him.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a woman with all that it entails. I am wife, mother, daughter, sister and bf. I am above all a feminist, a doula and a Christian. I celebrate being a woman, I love pretty things, have a handbag collection and yet I am fiercely independent, strong and a fighter.
Can you describe your job to me?
I manage an NGO called Bosom Buddies. Bosom Buddies is my passion, since it gives me the liberty to spend time with women, mothers in particular. My days are spent visiting our local hospital’s maternity ward and antenatal clinics, teaching and encouraging new or pregnant mothers. I manage around 20 volunteers who visit the hospital daily, I employ 3 wonderful women who help me to teach and support the mothers of the Helderberg.
A huge part of my job is fundraising (very stressful), so I communicate a lot, organize functions and such. Bosom Buddies is a project of the Thembalitsha Foundation, an organization I am enormously proud to be a part of. My colleagues inspire me greatly.
What motivated you to pursue this field?
As a student at UCT in the early 90’s, I studied literature, history and sociology. My latent feminism and political interest was sparked and after that there was no stopping me! After my studies I worked at Nicro Women’s Support Centre in Cape Town, where I was trained as counselor and spent time counseling women in abusive situations. I realized then that this is where my strength lies. I love women, I love talking to them, and listening to them. I love to teach and I have no fear.
After I had my children, I was overcome by the incredible thing we do which is pregnancy and childbirth and I trained to be a doula (childbirth assistant) and was first a volunteer for Bosom Buddies before I took over as manager. It has been a natural progression from young political, outspoken, aggressive schoolgirl to now.
What were some challenges along the way?
The challenges are mostly emotional. Obviously as counselor for abused women and now working with mothers in poverty, we see and hear some horrific things. It is hard for me to not want to change the world, to shout out and get aggressive. I also of course sometimes struggle with issues of faith. At times it is hard to know the love and blessings of our God whilst witnessing mothers and children suffering all around me.
What have some of the highlights been?
I love speaking to my privileged friends and telling them about what I do, or taking them with me to the public hospital. I am amazed how people can drive past townships yet not notice how the people live. I see a huge part of my job as educating the privileged and some of my highlights definitely include watching people change.
Every birth I have attended, whether at a private hospital with all the luxuries, or at the public hospital, has been a highlight.
Was there a moment when you thought I’ve made it’ and, can you describe it?
No. I think I challenge myself constantly. Come over one hurdle onto the next.
(I love when my father is proud of me and tells me so. This to me is an “I’ve made it” moment).
If you had any doubts, how did you overcome them?
The only doubts I have is whether I will have enough money at the end of each month to pay the salaries! Faith plays a big part here as well. Somehow we always have what we need for our mothers.
What have some of the highlights been?
It is definitely a highlight to be recognized by the medical community and regarded as valuable. Often in the past, we were seen as outsiders at the hospital and clinics, but through relationship building, we have now been accepted and are recognized as vital in the important task of teaching our moms about mother- and babycare.
Why is your current work important?
So many the pregnancy and birth-related illnesses are preventable. Proper teaching of our mothers can save the lives of many babies. We constantly struggle against misinformation and it is terribly frustrating. We know that exclusive breastfeeding will save lives, but mothers rather ask the advice of their mothers and culturally, it is a huge effort to convince them otherwise.
In Cape Town over 500 babies are abandoned each year. Why does this happen? We need to understand the level of desperation a mother reaches to get to this point. I really believe that if she had the proper help and support, perhaps from a group such as ours, she would have had someone to turn to, to help. Yes, we talk about adoption and yes, we encourage sterilisation, but this is not always appropriate. We offer friendship, knowledge and hope.
What’s something no one knows about you, that you don’t mind sharing?
I can do 50 real, man push-ups in a minute!
