Fire survivors still searching for a place to call home
Families who lost their homes in a recent Diepsloot fire are appealing for building materials as they struggle to rebuild their lives and regain a sense of stability.
The fire may be over, but for families who lost their homes in Diepsloot, the struggle is far from finished.
With nowhere secure to rebuild, some are separated from their children while others are forced to squeeze into already crowded spaces as they search for materials to start again.
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Nontlantla Sedise, a mother of five, is among those still trying to find stability. She is currently moving between places while her children have had to stay with relatives.
Four of her children are staying with their grandmother, while her first-born is with her sister.
Sedise said the situation has been difficult because she wants nothing more than to have her children under one roof again.
Photo: Reitumetse Gugushe
“It is not easy when you do not have your own place to stay. You keep depending on other people, and all you want is to be able to provide a proper home for your children.”
Snokwethu Ndlovu is facing a similar struggle. She, her boyfriend and their child are currently staying in someone else’s room, where space is already limited.
Ndlovu said having a home of their own would give her family a chance to start rebuilding their lives after the fire.
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“We are grateful that we have somewhere to sleep, but it is not a place where we can live comfortably as a family. We just want somewhere we can call our own.”
Sophy Shai took matters into her own hands when she felt her safety was at risk. She borrowed R3 000 from a loan shark to build up her home, but the decision has left her with debt she is still battling to repay.
Photo: Reitumetse Gugushe
“I knew I could not continue living without trying to make the place safer. I had to find a way, even though I knew borrowing the money would create another problem for me.”
The families are appealing for donations of corrugated iron sheets, round poles, roofing, nails, doors, window frames, door locks and cement. They also need furniture, pots, utensils, clothing and other household essentials lost in the fire.
Some support has already reached the affected families, including food and clothing, but more assistance is needed.
For donations, contact: Nontlantla Sedise at 0797556642, Snokwethu Ndlovu at 0814720564 and Sophy Shai at 0737746607.
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