Pretoria - A 72-year-old, Emily Serebolo of Santa Santa, in Kimberley, watched in amazement and with teary eyes as an army of Mandela Day spirit-filled-workers gathered in her yard to give her a new warm home.
The granny stayed in a tiny one room shack with her two children and grandchild.
“I am lost for words. I am speechless. This is heart-warming and a great deal of kindness shown to me and my family,” said the granny on Friday.
Holding onto her walking aid and with tears gathered in her eyes, she explained how her old shack leaked when it rained and was very small for her family of four.
“This one looks solid and it is bigger than the one we used to stay in. The shack we stayed in for the past six years or so leaked when it rained and was cold because the wind would infiltrate through the open spaces. It was still our home but this is a blessing,” said the granny, who could not take her eyes off her new home as it was being built.
“I feel happy. I am proud and filled with joy. They (officials and stakeholders) did what I didn’t expect for me and my family,” said the granny, who supports the family of four with her pension money.
Serebolo received a new temporary zinc structure, which is three times bigger than her old one, with two spacious windows, cemented levelled floor, and solid wooden door as she waits for a development to unfold later this year in her area.
The elderly also received groceries, new curtains, warm clothing and blankets.
The structure was donated by the Transport Regulations Directorate in the Northern Cape Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison with stakeholders such as SAPS and the local ward committee coming on board with other donations.
The Directorates Director, Lesego Wolfe, said the efforts was an act of kindness inspired by the human heart after the department’s area Expanded Public Works Programme Safety Volunteer identified the elder to receive aid.
“This is also to honour the call of Tata Madiba. We also want to highlight efforts of this working government to say we can relate and we want to help,” he said as he hugged the elderly.
“We want you to be in a better position and for you to see a difference from when we arrived. We want you to be safe and warm,” he added. – SAnews.gov.za
