This is a letter sent by Sr Lidia Danyluk OP to some German families who financed the building of three two-room houses
"The beneficiaries of the first house is a Grandmother who is looking after 7 grandchildren. Some children are receiving the grant but there are two orphaned children that we still struggling to get help. She is receiving the old age pension and with it she feeds the whole family. She had a site but not a house on it. Somebody allowed her to use an old empty house while she was trying to build her house. Even though she tried very hard she only was able to build a very precarious small room made of stones she and the children collected from the forest. At the end she realized she couldn't occupy the room because it was so bad. When your donation came, we built the two-room house for her and her children. With the money we bought the building material and paid the builder's labour. The family provided the water they carry every day from the river. They Granny and the children were very happy when the house was finished. They enter in dancing and rejoicing. They thank you very much for your kindness and generosity.
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The beneficiaries of the second house is a widowed (physically disabled) and her six children. Four children stay with her and the two eldest are trying to get job. She and her children were homeless. They used to ask for accommodation to the people. People were kind to let them stay but with the overcrowded house, they always ended up with problems. People were taking advantages of the money she receives from the disability grant. They were using and abusing her and her children to the point that one of her children was rapped. When they were tired of her they would chase her away. She would then start again begging someone to accommodate her. All this suffering ended at the beginning of August when we finished the house and we helped her to get in. There was rejoicing and gladness for her and her children to have their own home. It was a long process. First we assisted her to get her Identity document and the children's birth certificates. We also assisted her to register the government social grant. We help her to get a site which she paid little by little. We thank you very much because of your kindness and generosity Patricia and her children now have a home.
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The beneficiaries of the third house is a family (father, mother and 5 children, unfortunately the last born child died. There are four children now) who were totally neglected. The father is originally from Mozambique and is working in the sugar cane fields. The mother is from South Africa but she did not have identity documents. The children did not have birth certificates and they never attended school. We assisted them with all these needs. The children started to go to school and the mother did her identity application. We assisted her to register for the government social grant for her children. We did not have money to help them get a two-room house. The whole family were staying in just one room, which they use for everything. So with your donation we built a two room-house for them. It is not completed but by September the builder promised us it will be finished. This house took time because we needed to assist them to get a site. The traditional leaders did not like to give them a site because the father is originally from Mozambique. Finally we did get it and we are very happy about it. Indeed this is a year of blessing for these children. They all were admitted to grade one. The eldest child did very well and since June he is doing grade 2.
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We are very grateful to you. Without you we wouldn't have been able to assist these three needed families with a house. Building a small two-room house is beyond our budget. Children have so many needs...! We try to cover the most urgent ones. Houses are far too expensive for us but, with your help, this became a reality.
Thank you very much and God bless you and your family."
