Page 11 - Dainfern Precinct Living 3 2021

PRECINCT LIVING
eter wasn’t at home when been involved with outreach efforts
the fire that razed five shacks in Thabo Mbeki since the start of
on his plot in Thabo Mbeki the coronavirus lockdowns last
Pinformal settlement started. year. “When I heard about the fire,”
A friend of his from church, who was she said, “my heart went out to the
living in one of the rooms, ran to people, who have already gone
find him, to tell him that something through so many struggles since
had caught alight in one of the other the pandemic started. Losing their
rooms. By the time Peter returned, homes and what little possessions
his neighbours were already at work, they had? Gone? Just like that? I felt
some with hosepipes and others with if I could help even in a small way, it
buckets, trying to quench the flames. would make a difference.” The funds
that she donated covered most of a
Despite the best efforts of the wish list submitted by the affected
community, the fire spread to the people, largely of staple foods and
adjacent shacks on Peter’s property, household items. The remainder
reducing those fashioned from wood of the cost of their wish list was
and zinc alone to ash and rubble, covered by Jürg, the resident whose
and leaving the brick structures van we had used to deliver the
charred and roofless. goods.
Perhaps one should say, more When I returned to Peter’s house
accurately, because of the efforts almost exactly a month later, his plot
of other Thabo Mbeki residents, looked very different from what it
the tragedy was contained to just had been in late January. Although
the five shacks on Peter’s property, traces of the fire were still visible in
a remarkably small casualty as the scorched earth, things seemed
shack fires go, although no less on their way to returning back
devastating to those affected. to normal. Pieces of metal, zinc,
and wood that could be salvaged
Abraham, a local community from the ash had been used to
leader, found his way to the scene reconstruct the structures that had
and helped counsel the affected completely burned down.
in the aftermath of the disaster.
Recognising the need for material as Peter and two of his sons looked on
well as emotional support, Abraham and occasionally lent a hand to the
reached out to other community knowledgeable builder from Peter’s
leaders who transmitted the call for church who was busy at work
help to the residents of Dainfern trying to clear and pack an earthen
MSC Musica Golf Estate who have long been floor in one of the rebuilt shacks;
involved in outreach efforts in Thabo the fire had destroyed the tiles
Mbeki. The next day, Sue Harwood, and concrete that had been there
a Dainfern resident who coordinates before. Although the corrugated
a number of charity initiatives in the zinc sheets had been replaced
area, put out a call on Facebook on the roofs, the holes that had
and WhatsApp on behalf of the formed during the fire made them
12 people who had lost all their somewhat less effective for shelter,
belongings in the blaze. especially against the Highveld’s
famously violent summer storms.
The request for clothes, shoes, Still, it was heartening that, with
toiletries, food, cookware, stoves, basic needs met in the immediate
fuel, and tarpaulins was met with an aftermath of the fire, Peter could in
outpouring of generosity overnight. a matter of weeks turn his attention
So substantial was the response that to rebuilding his home and his
when I met the other two volunteers life, making the best of a terrible
meant to deliver the donations we situation.
had to travel in two vehicles because
the donations couldn’t fit in the large Peter still needs two bags of
SUV we had arranged to transport concrete, 25 sheets of zinc, and
them. some other supplies to rebuild his
home. If you would like to contribute
Sonia Desai, a resident who wasn’t to the concrete and building
in Dainfern at the time of the fire, materials needed to restore the
opted instead to donate some damaged dwellings, please contact
Checkers Vouchers. Sonia has Willem Lindique on 076 423 6570.

To stay in the loop about charity initiatives in Dainfern more
generally, please contact Sue Harwood on 083 228 2546.

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