New vehicle brings joy to Wentworth home for disabled
Residents and staff at Merewent Cheshire Home were overjoyed at receiving a new vehicle.
FOLLOWING a traumatic hijacking that left Merewent Cheshire Home without their only reliable vehicle, the staff of the home were overjoyed to receive a brand new vehicle.
An official handover of the vehicle, a Suzuki Ertiga, was held at the home situated in Wentworth on October 4.
The vehicle was sponsored by Accounting and Advisory Services CC, which is owned by Raven Naidoo, the chairperson of the home’s board.
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The home caters for people with physical disabilities and has 35 residents, aged between 18 and 59.
In July this year, staff members were hijacked in Umlazi on July 26.
A day later, the vehicle, a Toyota Hilux, which the home had for the past 15 years, was found stripped and burnt. The vehicle was used to collect donations and food, for excursions, for all our daily errands, such as to purchase bread for the residents’ breakfast, for submission of official governmental documents, for meetings and much more.
Winnie Mkhize, the home’s manager, said, “Our residents and staff feel elated and blessed to have a new vehicle that will assist in transportation services as our bus, which is almost 20 years old, has mechanical challenges. This will also enable us to have a substitute vehicle while our bus has gone in for repairs.
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“We are thankful to Raven for his kind gesture and magnanimous sponsorship. He always puts our home on top of his list and donates his time and expertise to improve the lives of people with disabilities. He also always shows extra care and love for the residents.
“We would also like to thank Jeremy Moonsamy from DESIGNation for sponsoring the branding and signage for the vehicle,” she said.
Naidoo said he could not turn a blind eye to the challenges that the home was facing without a reliable vehicle.
“We had asked everywhere for help, but nobody came through for us. Without a reliable vehicle, we had to call an ambulance when a resident became ill and had to be taken to hospital, while before they could have been transported immediately. The home also could not take residents for their hospital appointments or to collect their medication, among other tasks, and they had to ask around for assistance every time. I knew I had to do something and am glad I was able to sponsor a vehicle,” he said.
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