Kayamandi Fire and Kuyasa Kids

On the morning of March 15, a devastating fire swept through Kayamandi, the informal settlement outside Stellenbosch. Fanned by strong winds, the fire spread through the tightly packed shacks destroying 1,357 homes and left over 4,500 people homeless.

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Within just a couple of days, the residents effected by the fires had started rebuilding their homes with materials salvaged from the fire and kits of materials provided by the municipality. But even with a place to call home again, many families were still in need of basic things to get life back to normal.

David and I wanted to help, but didn't know where to start. That Sunday at church, we spoke with our friends, Daniel & Kendra, who are also from Texas. Daniel works at Kuyasa in Kayamandi as a soccer coach and said he had kids in the soccer program who lost everything in the fire. One of their biggest needs were school uniforms, books, school supplies, etc.

David and I teamed up with the Helderberg Sunrise Rotary Club to raise money and purchase some of the uniforms and supplies these kids needed. We purchased shoes, socks, pants, skirts, shirts and a package of school supplies for 18 children and had the chance to deliver it to the kids last week.

We also had a few extra pens and pencils that we handed out to some of the other children at the center. We didn't realize just how big of a hit they would be!

Thank you Helderberg Sunrise Rotary Club for helping us help these kids in need.