PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay residents have regularly shown that in times of crisis they step up, and this was once again proven with a rebuild initiative for victims of the June fires of last year.
The Plett Fire Fund was started by a small group of locals who wanted to restore the dignity of the poor who lost everything they owned, along with their homes, in the fires that ripped through the town.
On Thursday 15 March their efforts will come to fruition when construction on the first home commences.
Marius Venter who along with residents Sally Turner and Neville Peterson started the fund, says they were involved in relief work during the disaster and came face to face with the suffering some residents had to endure.
Kranshoek hard hit
The residents of Kranshoek, a very poor community on the outskirts of Plett, were hit hard.
“Some of them lost not only their homes but everything they owned. They have since been forced to find shelter with friends or family and some even live in the backyards of acquaintances. They do not have the funds to rebuild their homes,” Venter says.
The foundation for the first home being rebuilt as part of a rebuild initiative in Plettenberg Bay has been laid and construction is set to start on Thursday 15 March. Photos: Supplied
He adds that waiting for government to intervene was not viable as these people’s lives came to a standstill following the fires. “So we decided to do something about it ourselves.”
R600 000 raised so far
They started an NGO, which is audited, and started raising funds to provide the victims of the Kranshoek fires with homes. To date they have raised almost R600 000 – of which the biggest portion, about R500 000, came from the Lubner Fund – and they are waiting for a mayoral fund payout of a further R374 000.
The first homeowner set to benefit from the initiative is Winston Snyman, his wife and three children.
Last week the foundation for the home was built and, come Thursday, the construction is set to start.
The foundation is laid.
'Restoring dignity'
Each home will be about 50sq m and will include all the amenities needed to live comfortably. “We are including a shower, warm water, everything they need. We want to restore their dignity. That is our goal with this.”
Venter says they will be using a product called Stumblebloc to construct the homes.
The bricks fit together like Lego, he explains, and are very easy to work with.
It does not require specialised skills to use and therefore the community and the families will be part of the building process.
The foundations are dug.
R150 000 a home
Each home is set to cost about R150 000 to complete.
Venter says they also received furniture from First National Bank, which is in the process of replacing its office furniture, to resell to raise funds. Companies have also sponsored furniture to furnish the beneficiaries' homes.
As part of the initiative, Venter says, they also wanted to ensure that everything was above board so they procured the services of an architect and received the necessary approval from the municipality.
Each home is set to cost about R150 000 to complete.
Would you like to help?
Anyone wanting to contribute to the fund can deposit money into MA Hurwitz Attorney Trust Fund: Nedbank Plettenberg Bay, branch code 109014, account nr 1090043813. Use Plett Fire Fund as reference.
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