Publications
Partners
Good Samaritans have come forward to help the Dukada family of Qokolweni village, Mqanduli, in the Eastern Cape, whose desperate circumstances were described in City Press a fortnight ago.
The family has been inundated with calls from as far afield as the US, Switzerland and Germany, while locals have delivered food and other essential commodities, including electricity, to the family, which is struggling to meet basic needs amid the lockdown.
The Dukadas’ eldest daughter, Yolanda, said they had also been made aware of a crowdfunding initiative started by someone in the US who had read about their plight and wanted to contribute.
“Because of the lockdown, things haven’t been easy, but my family and I are grateful for the positive response. I wish the same thing could be done for other poor families. We are lucky and we do not take this for granted at all,” she said.
This newspaper has processed more than 60 emails from people overseas offering help for the Dukadas.
South Africans have also come forward, including businesspeople and politicians, wanting to make contributions.
Durban resident Colleen Trollip arranged a collection of a massive Boxer gift card for the family.
“There are many heartbreaking stories similar to that of Mrs Dukada and her family. We hear them every day. The gravity of [the Dukadas’ situation], especially with the children involved, compelled me to try to do something. It’s foolish to think that one person can change the world, but every single one of us has the ability to do something kind for another person and make a small difference to their life,” said Trollip.
Boxer marketing communications liaison Jason McCall said they were also assisting families like the Dukadas all over the country through their Boxer Hunger Relief Programme, which distributed food parcels.
“On behalf of Boxer and the country as a whole, we’d like to commend City Press and journalists around the country who are working so hard to keep us informed and tell the stories our nation needs to hear. Like our in-store teams, you’re essential to our communities, so thank you,” said McCall.
“Things has drastically changed overnight for our family. God is great we thank everyone who has reached out and helped. We know that we are not the only ones in this situation and that there might be other people out there in even worse predicaments. We also wish they could also get help like we did.
“We are really grateful for these blessings. We don’t know how we would have survived during these trying times. We did not expect this. We were just sharing our pain. But the response has overwhelmed us. We are speechless,” said an emotional Nosapho Dukada, holding back her tears of joy.
The unemployed 50-year-old mother of five daughters Dukada, who works as a car guard at the Circus Triangle Shopping Mall in Mthatha, thanked the countless number of good Samaritans who have come to her family’s rescue after she shared her story of fearing death by hunger more than the coronavirus.
Her husband Mawela echoed her sentiments saying he was humbled by the gesture shown by those who offered to help them.
Mawela said they have received grocery vouchers and they have bought enough food to last them for a long time. He promised the money they have been given by these good Samaritans would go into good use as he planned to fix their two-bedroom house which had its roof blown away by gale winds last year.
“We are going to use the money from these contributions including the social grants of the seven grandchildren we get from the state to fix the roof and the house which is also in a dilapidated state,” he said.
Dukada and husband have five daughters and seven grandchildren.
The couple sleeps in the main bedroom with their two-month grandchild.
The rest have to share a bed in the next room with others sleeping on the floor in matrasses. But the family is fully aware of the dangers of the Covid-19 virus and they try by all means to stay at home and washing their hands all the time.
 |
| ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
