Villa Gloria rebuilt one year after the fire

It has been over a year since tragedy struck the Villa Gloria communes in Oatlands.

According to Mogale Response Services, on September 9 last year, a call about a structural fire was received at 19:50. When the fire brigade arrived, the fire had already spread to several of the structures and other surrounding structures were also in danger of catching fire. At 01:25 on September 10, the fire was finally contained, however, there was significant damage. Seventeen living spaces and a church were damaged and many of the residents lost everything.

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A year later, there is a glimmer of hope. Local businesses and other organisations came together to help those who were affected and helped them take steps to change their lives for the better. On November 8, a new church was opened on the premises which marks the beginning of rebuilding the living spaces and restoring dignity among those who were affected.

The initiative was started by the Christian Movement Africa Back to God organisation which has been responsible for several community-driven projects, such as feeding schemes, building community centres in low-income areas and combating substance abuse.

According to Pastor Ian Wilken, who is part of the organisation, the church only took two months to be completed, as they planned carefully throughout the year.

“While a few businesses and donations from residents went a long way to assist us, most of the work to rebuild the church was done in-house. Many of the residents who live in the communes volunteered and sacrificed their time in assisting and building the church. There was about R250 000 spent on the structure and many people, young and old, played a hand in completing the building,” Ian said.

Chairperson of the organisation, Chris Dean, said local businesses such as Steel Mine, Value Steel and Well Rite donated material to ensure that the structure is strong and ready for use.

“Apart from building materials we also provided the residents with food, blankets and other necessities that they needed,” Chris said.

Despite being proud of the progress made he added that a lot of work still needs to be done to assist the residents.

“We only have enough funds to build four houses and we are still looking for materials as the funds are a little short. The commune also used to have a little preschool which assisted parents while they were looking for jobs or while most of them were working. Building materials, paint brushes, bricks, cement, sand and windows are on the list.”

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According to the supervisor at Villa Gloria, Jackie van Jaarsveld, the commune has been there for more than 20 years. She further explained that there are more than 120 living spaces on the property with more than 300 people, including children, living there at any given time. For those who could not move in with family, a community hall and the daycare centre were made into living spaces. She further explains that part of the plans to improve their lives is to build a soup kitchen along with the homes that were affected.

The organisation appeals to the community to assist them as it will go a long way into restoring their dignity. To assist you can contact, Chris on 082 686 0522 and Pastor Ian on 079 777 6765.