After losing almost everything in an inferno that tore through her Lombo street home last month, Gladys Jodwana, 73, couldn't contain tears of joy when good Samaritans from Uniting Presbitarian Church knocked on her door with donations.
After losing almost everything in an inferno that tore through her Lombo street home last month, Gladys Jodwana, 73, couldn't contain tears of joy when good Samaritans from Uniting Presbitarian Church knocked on her door with donations.
The youth of the Uniting Presbitarian Church in Z Street,Tantyi, were moved to action after reading Jodwana's story in Grocott's Mail.
Youth leader Monde Mzongwana said: "when we read about the tragedy we felt we should do something to make her situation better".
Mzongwane said they were also driven by their church policy which encourages them to reach out to the community, especially the poor.
The donations include three mats, a paraffin stove, radio, electric lamp, paraffin and a cupboard.
Jodwana was with her two year-old grand daughter Siyamthanda when an inferno erupted on Tuesday 14 January.
The two were resued by two passers-by, Mvuyisi Mange and Solomon Mthana who plucked Siyamthanda from the flames.
The friends had found her crying and stranded in the passage of the blazing house.
Jodwana told Grocott's that she was struggling to make ends meet after losing everything in the blaze.
The fire destroyed food supplies, a stove, a refrigerator, two TV sets, two beds, sofas, clothes, an electric meter box and appliances.
Jodwana initially received some temporary relief from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) who provided her with four blankets, three mattresses, food parcels to the value of R1260, candles, matches and soap, as part of their social relief of distress programme (SRD).
She now lives in a backyard RDP house, while Sitamthanda has since returned to her mother in PE.
