Cape Town - Business mogul and philanthropist Collen Mashawana, through his foundation, has blessed two Nyanga families with newly renovated homes fitted with new furniture and appliances just in time for Christmas.
Mashawana, in collaboration with the Department of Social Development, responded to a call for assistance by a local community-based organisation Kasi Angels to help the families who had lost their homes to fire.
The newly renovated homes were handed over to 85-year-old gogo Nongayithini Minah Fasi and her neighbours Funeka and Bangindawo Mbali. They were delighted when they accepted the keys to their newly renovated homes, handed to them by Mashawana and Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.
“About four weeks ago we came and met the families after we were invited by the Department of Social Development to see if we could help rebuild their homes. After meeting them, we consciously committed to the elderly families that we would build and give them new homes, and here we are four weeks later to deliver on our promise.
It’s sort of like a Christmas gift I’m sure for them to receive new homes, fully furnished with water and electricity,” Mashawana said.
Fasi’s granddaughter Phumla Fasi said that the family was beyond happy and grateful for their new home. “After the fire, we had lost everything but now things have been restored. We are very grateful to the organisations that came together because without them we would not have been able to rebuild our home again,” she said.
Twelve people between the two families had been left displaced. Seven were from the Fasi household and seven from the Mbali household.
Funeka Mbali, 59, said: “What the Collen Mashawana Foundation has done for me is truly immeasurable. The fire had destroyed a large part of our home, and we had no way to fix it because I do not work, nor does my husband.”
Kasi Angels facilitated the process for the families to receive assistance from the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the Collen Mashawana Foundation.
CEO Gerald Nomlala said: “When we heard that the Fasi family lost their home to a fire we rushed here to help, only to find out that there were two houses that had been burnt down. We asked for help from organisations around the country, and after a month or so the Mashawana Foundation came on board to assist the two families.
“So we were more like messengers in this instance, but we were very happy to have brought together the Mashawana Foundation and Sassa to assist the families.”
Zulu said: “We were here about a month ago to respond to a cry by the two families who lost their homes when the Mashawana Foundation agreed that they would renovate the homes.
“Today (Tuesday), we are back again because the foundation has fulfilled its promise, so we would like to thank them because it’s through their partnership with us as the Department of Social Development that this has happened,” she said.