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MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - A resourceful daughter made sure her mother's milestone birthday did not go uncelebrated, despite the challenges of Covid-19.
Johanna Nyadi, a local entrepreneur known for her flamboyant style of dress, her larger than life personality and contagious smile, turned 50 on Wednesday, 16 June.
Naturally, a big birthday like this could not be taken lightly, even though Covid-19 presented several obstacles.
Johanna, much of whose family including her husband, lives in Polokwane, could not travel due to the Covid-19 restrictions, which also made it impossible for them to join her on her birthday. According to her daughter, whose name is Remember, Johanna was also due for surgery to her knee which, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, had to be cancelled.
Photo gallery: Johanna Nyadi's 50th birthday celebrated
"She has not been in high spirits lately. With her birthday nearing, I asked her what she really wanted. Surprisingly, she said no big party, she just really would like to see some of her friends again." At her church, Johanna is a member of the frontline team and is used to having loads of interaction with other people.
Crafting a plan, Remember made a list of the names her mother mentioned and contacted them secretly. "I didn't have all the numbers so I asked those who I managed to get hold of to spread the word."
Not expecting a thing, Johanna, on the morning of the "party" was lured out of the house by her children in order for them to get the decorations up without her noticing. "They even talked me into staying in my pyjamas." Upon her return, the first of her friends arrived, honking away. "I was so surprised and overjoyed, I started crying. The kids then brought me my sunglasses. They said I can't let people see me cry on my birthday."
Johanna waited outside her house to see her friends drive by. There was a beautiful backdrop, reading Quarantine Party and 17 of her friends drove by, honked their hooters and dropped off gifts to celebrate her big day. "The people on the street came out to see what was going on. People started singing. It was so joyful."
Watch a supplied video below:
Johanna being a fashionista, Remember explains that her mom's latest object of desire is a Louis Vuitton handbag. "Obviously, I don't have the money for such a pricey bag, so I had a cake made in the form of a Louis Vuitton bag. I thought, if she can't carry the bag, at least she can enjoy eating it," chuckles Remember.
Johanna says that every year, she celebrates her birthday with friends. "We go out and have dinner somewhere. This year we planned something big. The idea was to host a matric farewell, because I never had one."
She says, however, that her birthday celebration was "amazing" and adds: "Nothing you can imagine compares to this, especially in the current circumstances."
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