Hazyview taxi drivers building home for family

Taxi operators are widely known as dangerous road users with no feelings for others, but the SUTA taxi association in Hazyview is proving the public wrong.
SUTA is building a house for four orphans who were living in a dilapidated one-room shack.

According to the project co-ordinator, Themba Fakude, they learnt of the family’s situation on social media and decided to contribute money to buy food for the family, in conjunction with some other drivers. “When we arrived at their home, we realised the family needed not only more groceries, but were also in desperate need of a decent home,” he said.

The Good Samaritans realised the shack was not suitable for people to live in. There was no furniture and everyone was sleeping on the floor. The shack had very few items in it and no electricity. “We took it upon ourselves to build a two-room house for them. Each taxi driver from our Hazyview rank will contribute R100 until the house is finished,” Fakude said.

ALSO READ: Woman from Madras will finally have an identity document

A bed was found for the family and the wheels have been set in motion to acquire the necessary items to make their house a home. It was also decided that as part of this initiative, the kids would be taken care of and looked after until they were old enough to care for themselves. Part of this goodwill project is to ensure that they attend school. Fakude explained that their main aim was to make sure the house is finished before month-end, and they are calling on others who wish to assist to come on board.

Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries, Valencia Fankomo (24), said they became orphans in 2012 when their parents passed away and their guardians abused them. She was forced to quit school in Grade 10 to look after her three siblings. “We are grateful for what SUTA has done for us, because they came to our aid when we needed them the most. We only had one room in the shack that we shared among the four of us.

ALSO READ: Teacher arrested for alleged assault at a school in Mohlaletsi

We have no one to go to since our parents are no more. As the oldest, I had to quit school and look for work on farms so I could look after my younger siblings, provide a home for them and make sure that they were out of the abusive environment they were living in,” she said.
She said the two-room house will mean a lot to her and her siblings. She was never going to afford to build one herself, as they are dependent on a social grant. She said the taxi operators have now shown them they are caring people.