As she started her day at work, Lucy Nyama received a call that anyone dreads – her house was engulfed in flames.
After having left her house on Kirstenbos Street intact around 07:00 on the morning of Thursday, August 18, she would come back to a its burnt remains about two and a half hours later.
Nyama, who is a nurse at the Zola Clinic in Soweto, was living with her two teenage daughters (aged 13 and 17), aunt and nephew in the three-bedroom house.
“As my taxi approached the house, I started crying before I even reached the gate. Luckily my two girls were already at school when the fire started. I am also thankful that both my aunt and nephew are safe – they were both sleeping when the fire erupted. You can replace everything, but you can’t replace a life,” she said.
Although it appears that the fire started in the living room, the family remains unsure of the actual cause.
“We don’t put heaters on and we don’t use the stove in the mornings. We only had a TV, radio and lights in the living room, so we believe it might have been an electrical fault of some sorts. But it’s all speculation at the moment,” Nyama explained.
Although Nyama, who is the only breadwinner of the household, is thankful for the lives spared, she can’t help but think of everything they’ve lost – memorabilia, IDs, nursing certificates, clothing and savings, to name just a few. Luckily, the fire didn’t reach the two rental rooms on the same property.
Without any kind of insurance, the family was left with virtually nothing.
“Although I love what I do, I receive a very small income and so the girls and I had been using 5l containers to save up for Christmas, the December holidays and other general necessities. It’s safe to say we lost about R8 000’s worth of solid savings in the fire too,” she said.
However, when the news of the house fire reached the community, they immediately responded with great compassion. Throughout the day the traumatised family received sincere donations from a large number of kind-hearted community members.
“We thank each and every person who donated to us. We are exceptionally thankful for all the help and support we’ve been receiving. We are blessed to have such an amazing community who looks out for one another,” Nyama said.
However, the family – who is currently living out of their garage – still needs anything and everything to start rebuilding their lives. They have also been left without water and electricity.
They are in need of clothing, blankets, food, pillows and toiletries among other necessities. If you would like to contribute to a family in dire need, community member, Natalie Swart can be contacted on 081 823 8587 to arrange for the goods to be collected or dropped off.
