KNYSNA: Remembering the 2017 fires - On the day after the terrible fires, an urgent message was sent to all Rotary clubs in the country, providing the account details of the Knysna Rotary Relief Fund and asking for financial assistance. The response was immediate and almost overwhelming. 

Clubs from all over the country contributed funds and the message passed to clubs overseas, which also donated generously. The message also went far beyond the Rotary circle. Companies, individuals and organisations have all made their contributions, some small and some very large.

In the last year, Rotary Knysna has concentrated most of its fire assistance efforts on providing assistance to two groups. One group was homeless families who had lost everything and needed to restart their lives. Vouchers to be spent at stores in Knysna that supply household goods, appliances, hardware and consumables were made available to these families. The other group was businesses that had been destroyed and needed assistance with the bare essentials for the owners to make a new start.

Among other specific requests for assistance were school uniforms for underprivileged children lost in the fire and funds to provide trauma counselling to fire victim children. An irrigation system to ensure the sustainable future of the tree planting campaign at Pledge Nature Reserve was funded. Furniture company Weylandts donated 100 beds and mattresses plus a large quantity of appliances and furniture, passed on from their clients to the effort. Rotary Knysna distributed these valuable items to fire victims.

To date, some 300 families have received or are in the process of receiving assistance from Rotary together with about 20 businesses. More than R4.5-million has been collected and distributed in this way.

The club is enormously grateful to all those who contributed, in funding and in kind, as well as to all the many volunteers who worked to sort and distribute the donations. 

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