Samaritan aims to keep children safe and warm
This initiative aims at saving shack dwellers from dying sue to open fires this winter season
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Unfortunately, these open fires have resulted in shacks burning down, leaving many homeless and their property destroyed.
A Walkerville resident, Desiree Mtshali, has taken it upon herself to be the change she wants to see and she has started the Keep Safe – Hot Water Bottle initiative. “I am looking to provide under privileged people with hot water bottles during the cold front,” said Mtshali. “I want to start giving out the hot water bottles to the learners from Michael Rua Intermediate Farm School, where I’ve also adopted five children who I help out.”
After a glorious summer, Johannesburg is experiencing the beginning of winter. While many residents in the suburbs can simply get their winter warm clothing out, residents from informal settlements do not even have heaters to keep them warm. This is what motivated Mtshali to reach out to people for donations of hot water bottles, to provide to school children who live at the Eikenhof and Jacksons Drift informal settlements.
Mtshali has teamed up with the fire department’s Public Information Education and Relations Unit to educate learners on the dangers of open fires and how to use hot water bottles correctly, without burning themselves with water.
Hot water bottle donations can be dropped off at the Kibler Park Fire Station.
