Pietermaritzburg – A student has taken up the challenge to help the 101-year-old woman whose house was destroyed in a fire last week.Alice Morrison, a masters student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has set up a website to help raise funds for Victoria Ntuli of Cinderella Park near Eastwood.
Ntuli lost large parts of her home in a blaze sparked by an electrical fault.
Ntuli’s house was burned down on last Monday, a day after her children had organised a birthday party to celebrate her 101st birthday.
Only one room of the house remains, which is used as a kitchen, living room and bedroom.
She also shares it with her grand-children and great-grand-children.
Morrison, 29, has already raised more than R2 000 in donations in the past six days. She hopes to raise R12 000 in 20 days.
People, from as far away as Ireland and England have made donations. Others have come from Pietermaritzburg, Durban and Grahamstown.
“I think that if you can help, help,” she told The Witness when asked why she had decided to get involved.
She visited Ntuli’s home on Monday to see the damage and to find out what Ntuli needed the most.
“I decided to begin an online fund-raising campaign to see if I could raise some money to help her rebuild her home.
“I wanted to help as I like to help. I also helped with finding food and shelter for those affected by the recent xenophobia attacks,” she said.
Morrison said the amount of money she is able to raise will decide what kind of help she will be able to offer Ntuli.
Since the fire, Ntuli has been without electricity. She has relied on a paraffin stove that is creating toxic fumes.
Her children who lived in the part of the house that was damaged are still living with relatives.
“We lost everything. Clothes, ID books and birth certificates are all gone. We also do not have electricity,” said Ntuli, adding some of her grandchildren who shared the one room with her were fearful that the one-room brick house will collapse on them after they noticed cracks in the walls.
“I simply do not have the resources to rebuild. I would take any help I get.
“You cannot dictate to someone who is helping you and what they should give you because they are just helping you,” she continued.
“If someone decides to give me food or anything I would be happy with that,” she said.
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