Scenes of Hout Bay Devastation Inspire Cape Town Teens to Help Homeless Children

At least 500 children, possibly many more, have reportedly been left homeless and without any possessions after a huge fire ravaged Mandela Park, in the Imizamo Yethu informal settlement, on Friday night and Saturday… but thanks to the efforts of some Capetonian teenagers, the children will hopefully soon have clothes, shoes and stationery.

The teens accompanied their mothers – Amanda Stergianos and Lisa Copeland – to the devastating scene of destruction in the Hout Bay Valley yesterday… where they were humbled and moved to action. According to latest reports from eNCA the fire killed three people and burnt 3,500 homes. Around 15,000 people have been left homeless. They have been given shelter in local community halls and tents which have been set up at the Hout Bay Sports Complex.

Amanda said: “It was DEVASTATING. We chatted to little children that lost everything. All they had is their clothes on their backs.”

Lisa said she was feeling so overwhelmed afterwards. “I stood next to a man who was staring into the distance. When I asked him what he was looking at he said his home. There was no home… only corrugated iron. When I asked him where he would stay… he said with his friend, and his wife would stay with another friend. ‘This fire,’ he said, ‘will separate me and my wife for a long time.'”

“We have to help,” says Lisa.

Amanda said their teen (and tween) daughters, who attend Herschel Girls School, were so humbled by the tragic sight… that they have been motivated to rally their school friends to help the hundreds of children left homeless by this devastating fire.

The girls are also inviting other schools to join them in their pledge – “All children’s items – including sport and school gear – is very welcome, so we can help the children to return to some sense of normal as soon as possible, while the adults try to rebuild their lives.

Schools in Cape Town are asked to make a collection point for their school, and for one school coordinator to then liaise with the teens through: info@vintage-etc.com

“We need unwanted backpacks, stationery, shoes at the bottom of drawers…”

Drop off points are:
1. Elle Stergianos, 11 Talana Road, Claremont
2. Kathi Taylor Purcell, 30 St Dennis Road, Lynfrae
3. Amanda Stergianos, 5 Van Zyl Way, Meadowridge/Constantia

Any queries to info@vintage-etc.com

Video: The devastating scene after Hout Bay Fire, March 2017

Informal Settlement reduced to rubble after Hout Bay Fire, South Africa, March 201

MORE

www.facebook.com/girl.unplugged/

#HoutBayFire #ImizamoYethu More coverage here >> https://t.co/pMl3gMdvJi pic.twitter.com/cMi07LvEYN

— eNCA (@eNCA) March 13, 2017