Nigerian community donates house to poor South African family

Photo: The house built by the Nigerian community.

The Nigerian community in South Africa has provided succour to a poor South African family living in a dilapidated tin shack with a brand new fully furnished five-room house with a borehole.

The President of the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), Mr Adetola Olubajo, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday.

Olubajo said the house was presented to Ms Muyadziwa Musundwa and her five children, who lived at Maelula village, Tshifhire, South Africa, on May 15.

He said that when one of our Board of Trustee (BoT) members, was told of the family’s plight by a local journalist, he was touched as every person deserves better living conditions.

“It is our obligation to make sure that even the Musundwa family lived comfortably like other community members. It is our joint responsibility to eliminate poverty, hunger and underdevelopment within our communities,’’ Olubajo said, adding that

as Africans, we are one irrespective of our geographic location.

Mr Femi Adeleke, a BoT member, who presented the house to Musundwas, said that he was proud to be a part of the “good deeds’’ aimed at uplifting communities.

“We got in touch with Musundwa with the help of a local journalist. Most of the families we have helped consisted of unemployed people and they needed assistance from our community.

“They did not choose to be poor, therefore, they need to be uplifted by those who can do something for them,’’ he said, noting that the donations were based “on love and brotherhood”.

The unemployed Musundwa and her children shed tears of joy when the keys to their new home were handed over to them by the representative of the donors, Adeleke, who opened the door, marking the official opening of the house.

Struggling to contain her emotions, Musundwa said the donation from the Nigerian community came at exactly the right time, as they had no shelter.

Photo: The structure where the South African family lived before getting the new shelter.

“We initially thought that people in rural areas are neglected, but we know now that there are people out there who care and we are very thankful,” she said.

“God is great! I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would one day have a beautiful house like this one. Life was tough for me and my children. When it rained we had to sit up the whole night, as there was water all over. Sometimes thieves would just break in and steal whatever was in the house.”

Mr Nehemia Madzhiga of the Makhado Municipality, thanked Adeleke and NUSA for the good work they were doing within the communities.

“We are very happy to have Africans, who understand our language that as a government, alone we cannot do things for all our people but if other people also identify people in need and assist them, we can do more for our people together,” he said.

Ms Thelma Ramabulana, representative of Maelula Royal Council, said that although more challenges lay ahead, the community was proud of Adeleke and the Nigerian Union South Africa for joining the fight against poverty and underdevelopment.