Once again, it’s Gift of the Givers to the rescue.
While the rain came down in torrents over the past few weeks, I was recently driving on broken highways, crossing inaccessible roads and avoiding mudslides with the team of the Gift of the Givers aid foundation.
I sat in awe watching them in action; they unite humankind and make such a positive difference to everyone and anyone, irrespective of class, religion or colour.
Their biggest motivation last week was to bring hope and relief to people who need it the most.
My trip with them started at the closed off Huguenot Tunnel.
The police were asked to escort us through to the other side, and I remember standing there in shock and searching for words to explain what I was witnessing; all I could think of was to ask the Almighty to keep everyone safe.
I remember one of the crew spoke to me, to snap me out of my trance and focus on what we needed to do. I watched truck drivers sweat in fear behind the steering wheel as they struggled to move through the mudslide.
The challenges the organisation were faced with just to get to those in need – buckets of rain, fallen trees, broken power lines, collapsed cellphone towers – but the strong wind was the scariest.
I watched with a knop in my keel as the helicopter pilots struggled to fly items into Wupperthal because of the gusty winds. All I can say is they made it all happen, with the help of the Almighty.
Tears fell down my face when we arrived in the communities – some that were trapped for as long as seven days waiting for essential supplies – and when they saw the green trucks arrive, they would scream, applaud, children would run out of excitement, and so many of them would just show gratitude like you have never seen before.
The reaction of the less affected communities was equally heart-warming, with deliveries made to Strand, Faure, Mbekweni, Grabouw, Caledon, KTC, Nyanga, Bonteheuwel, Langa, Khayelitsha, Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain, Atlantis, Villiersdorp and more; you name it, we saw it all.
People were sitting on the roofs of their houses waiting to be rescued. Professional divers braved murky waters in search and rescue operations, and ambulance services were with us too.
Farmers allowed us access through their private land to get to the communities.
The moral of my story here, is that people will always need people.
The Gift of the Givers, with the help of many South Africans, the Western Cape government and local municipalities, came to the aid of people who lost everything, who were left homeless, cold and wet, thirsty and hungry, and despondent.
I know this simply because I got to share a conversation with the management team of this vital organisation.
This latest operation came at a cost of more than R10 million for the foundation, and includes transport, blankets, mattresses, hygiene packs, bottled water, nappies, sanitary pads, clothes, stationery, building material, and to top it all off, along the N1, N2 and N7 highways, they were feeding hot meals to the homeless.
They recently worked in Malawi when Cyclone Freddy hit there, and they’ve boarded a plane with volunteers to help out in Turkiye after that country was struck with massive earthquakes.
Please make it your mission to show support to this foundation by donating money and goods, and if you can’t, at least spread the word.
It will make a difference.
I have to say, with a busy schedule I’m not always in the mood to write, but when you get to write about these life-changing experiences and share it with so many, it can be gratifying knowing that it changes a life right in front of your eyes.
And that’s something very special.
The Gift of the Givers restores the dignity of human beings, and this time it’s the dignity of our very own neighbours, family and friends.
Thank you, Gift of the Givers team, for taking me along on this journey. Next time, I promise, I won’t cry as much.
Contributions can be made into the bank account of Gift of the Givers: Standard Bank Pietermaritzburg, Account number 052137228, Branch Code 057525, reference SA Disaster.
A request has been made to email your deposit slip to donations@giftofthegivers.org to receive your tax deductible Section 18A certificate.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za