BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MALIYADUMA – After years of facing rain and strong winds through the walls of a crumbling stick-and-mud house, 68-year-old Thulubona Gamedze finally had reason to smile on Saturday when he was handed the keys to a new home worth more than E33 000.
For Gamedze of Maliyaduma, the handover by Langaletfu Organisation was not simply the arrival of a new house. It marked the end of a painful chapter in which bad weather turned his home into a source of distress.
“I have been struggling for years, but today I see light. It was distressing to live in that house, especially during rainy and windy days. I was in pain,” Gamedze said.
The newly built one-room house now gives the elderly man a safer and more dignified place to live.
Speaking during the handover, Langaletfu Organisation said it intervened after becoming aware of Gamedze’s difficult living conditions.
“We are here to help the poor and vulnerable in our communities. We believe that everyone deserves to have a safe place to call home, and we wanted to make a difference in Gamedze’s life,” the organisation said.
Langaletfu said its work is focused on identifying vulnerable members of society and providing practical assistance to improve their living conditions.
Gamedze thanked the organisation for coming to his assistance, saying the new home had brought light into his life after years of hardship.
The intervention was accompanied by further support from Philani Maswati Charity Organisation, which provided Gamedze with food, clothing and a blanket.
The organisation also pledged to continue assisting him with his basic needs and committed to purchasing a bed for his new home.
Speaking during the handover, Lutfo Dlamini said the assistance was being provided on behalf of Their Majesties.
“We are here on behalf of Their Majesties since they have sent us to help the poor. We bring food and clothes and soon we will bring a bed,” Dlamini said.
Dlamini further encouraged Langaletfu Organisation to continue helping vulnerable members of the community.
For Gamedze, Saturday’s handover changed what home means to him. The structure that once offered little protection from harsh weather has been replaced by a E33 000-plus home, giving him the chance to live with greater comfort, security and dignity.
