Byline: Kelebogile Masemola
19 August 2022
As part of the Women’s Month Programme, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, the Chairperson of the Collen Mashawana Foundation, Mr Collen Mashawana, as well as MMC of Housing and Human Settlements Cllr Abel Tau on Thursday, 18 August 2022 handed over keys to a newly built and fully furnished house to Ms Sarah Mgomeni in Winterveldt, Tshwane.
The predicament of the Mgomeni family of nine children and seven grandchildren, who live together in a run-down mud house, was brought to the attention of the Collen Mashawana Foundation by the Tshwane MMC for Social Development and Community Services, Ms Peggy de Buin.
The family was then moved to a temporary shelter during the construction of the new house.
The Collen Mashawana Foundation works closely with the Ministry of Social Development, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to provide decent shelter to child-headed households, older persons and persons with disabilities
To date, the Foundation has built over 200 houses across the country.
Chairperson of the Collen Mashawana Foundation, Collen Mashawana said the foundation was invited four weeks ago to assess the living conditions of the Mgomeni family, which is a family of 22 residing in Winterveld.
“The family has faced the most living in an unsafe dilapidated house for many years and had lost all hope in repairing the damages mostly caused by heavy rains and little to no maintenance.
With the current economic conditions, the family is one of many who find themselves relying on Social Grants for a living.
Their financial struggles have had the most impact on the children who have been unable to pursue their basic rights to education.
Upon witnessing the appalling circumstances, the Collen Mashawana Foundation immediately moved the family to a temporary structure that was safer and also committed to building them a permanent home that is safe and conducive for a large family,” said Mashawana.
The Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu said improving women’s lives has multiple benefits for the families, communities and our society as a whole.
“Women are disproportionately affected by poverty, unemployment and inequality.
As we hand over the keys to Ms Mgomeni, we are restoring her dignity and that of her family because we know that improving women’s lives has multiple benefits for the families, communities and our society as a whole,” said Minister Zulu.
MMC of Housing and Human Settlements Cllr Abel Tau said “today is a celebration of humanity, and we are grateful to everyone who made building this house possible, the conditions this family was living under was really heart-breaking.
“In the world we live in today, when people reach for success they forget to help people who are destitute and less privileged.
Collen Mashabana’s humanity will shine through each and every family member who will be living in this house.
I grew up in very similar conditions as this family was living under.
Things that prompted me to take the human settlement portfolio in the city, was because we needed to have people who understand that housing and human settlements is not just an issue about dignity, it is an issue about life and death itself,” said MMC Tau.
