Young people rebuild and restore family's burnt out home

A group of young Mdantsane people showed the spirit of ubuntu is alive and well by renovating the ruined house of a fire victim family.

Relatives of Zoliswa Socutshana, 50, battled to hold back tears of joy as their home was revamped after the fire devastation in June.

The family of six had little option but to keep living in the burnt-out two-room ruins in Mdantsane’s NU9 until the youngsters intervened.

The family had no hope of rebuilding their home.

Socutshana was hospitalised with burns after her house went up in flames as a result of a paraffin stove toppling. She has been at Cecilia Makhiwane Hospital since then.

Her mother, Nonzwakazi Socutshana, 72, is the only breadwinner with her old age pension, which was not enough to rebuild the house.

“It is a joyful day for us as a family. We are so thankful to those involved for making sure we have a roof over our heads,” she said. “I had lost all hope of rebuilding. This has changed everything.”

Socutshana ’ s child, Likho Jele, 15, wrote on social media about her family’s plight.

One of those who heeded the call to help, Sisonke Kosani, an events co-ordinator at TruFM, said the Socutshane family had been assisted with building materials and electric appliances.

Kosani said her team had cleaned the house, fixed the roof and ceiling and changed doors.

Besides helping this family, her team had engaged in a number of other programmes to help needy families.

“It is all in the spirit of ubuntu. We are just a group of young people who want to make a difference in the places where we come from and live.”

Tony Lynch, an electrical engineering lecturer, read about the family’s plight on social networks and decided to act.

He said his students would help with the electrical wiring of the house at no cost.

Activist Siya Rumbu, who mobilised for help after the calamity, said:

“You don’t have to be a millionaire to make a difference. The little you do is huge to someone else. We are not building a mansion but bringing dignity to this family.”

One helper, who owns a building company and did not want her name published, said she had helped with building material and cash.

She said when Socutshana was hospitalised she was at the hospital.

“When I heard about the family ’ s plight my conscience said I had to act.”

You don’t have to be a millionaire to make a difference. The little you do is huge to someone else