Across South Africa, hidden in rural corners are families struggling to get by. Many of these are child headed households where the early death of one or both parents, due to illness and disease leaves only children to fend for themselves and their siblings.

The older children are forced to leave school, many with only a few years of primary education thereby severely limiting their prospects for future success. Many of these children are forced into unhealthy and psychologically damaging practices and many of the females may turn to prostitution to make enough to survive.

This is a tragedy that is often hidden from the view of public and hence mechanisms to redress this issue are sometimes limited.
Last week however, on July 30, a joint initiative between the Al-Imdaad Foundation and Operation Sukuma Sakhe yielded a change of fortunes for one such vulnerable family in the Enyosini area of Imbabazne Local Municipality. The child-headed Khumalo household of seven members received a newly constructed and fully furnished house that was erected by the Al-Imdaad Foundation after being requested by Operation Sukuma Sakhe task teams.

The case was identified in 2012 by Local Task Teams (LTTs) in the Imbabazane Local Municipality who called upon the Al-Imdaad Foundation to assist in building the family a new house. Since then the Al-Imdaad Foundation, in addition to facilitating the building processes has been assisting the vulnerable child-headed family with regular hampers and school uniforms.

The family of seven had been staying in a small, dilapidated mud house without sanitation facilities or essential appliances. The older girls had to drop out of school very early and have not progressed beyond rudimentary primary grades. Al-Imdaad Foundation’s interventions have however gone some way to help them overcome the difficulty that has characterised their lives.

In July 2015, the Khumalo house was completed and a handover event was organised, which brought together officials from district and local municipalities as well as members of the Al-Imdaad Foundation ground team. In a cosy tent outside the new Khumalo home, the congregation was welcomed by the Imbabazane Deputy Mayor who offered a word of thanks to the Al-Imdaad Foundation.

Words of support and encouragement followed from Al-Imdaad Foundation Projects Co-ordinator Abed Karrim and uThukela District Mayor, Mrs Mazibuko who advised the new homeowners to take good care of their new home and to always keep it clean and tidy. The younger children were also advised to stay in school and work hard to excel and better their lives.

One of the older children also addressed the crowd and breaking into tears of gratitude she appealed to the municipality, councillors and Al-Imdaad Foundation never to abandon her family. The house was then handed over to the Khumalo family and after the ceremonial ribbon cutting, the officials and Al-Imdaad representatives took a moment to interact with the family inside their new home.

The old mud hut now stands juxtaposed against the new house, a testimony to the change of fate experienced by the Khumalo family.
Where the old house had no lights or bathroom, and furnishings were sparse and inadequate, the new home is fully furnished with enough beds and furniture for the whole family to be comfortable. Together Al-Imdaad Foundation and Operation Sukuma Sakhe are striving to make a difference in lives of the poor and needy in KwaZulu-Natal.