Humanities Student Helps 101-year-old Home Fire Victim
Masters student in Development Studies, Ms Alice Morrison, recently took up the challenge of helping 101-year-old Mrs Victoria ‘MaMkhize’ Ntuli rebuild her home in Cinderella Park, Pietermaritzburg, after it was destroyed in a fire.
Morrison, who read about Ntuli’s plight in a newspaper, set up a website to help raise funds for her to have a prefabricated wooden home erected on the property in which her house burned down.
‘I find that people often want to help each other but don’t know how to go about it so I decided to see what I could do,’ said Morrisson. ‘I thought setting up an online crowd funding campaign would be an efficient way of accessing money for Ntuli from the Pietermaritzburg community as well as perhaps nationally and internationally.
‘I decided on Indiegogo as a friend of mine had used their website for a fundraising campaign a few years ago. After setting up the campaign and sharing it on Facebook, I also contacted the newspaper to get Ntuli’s details,’ explained Morrison.
With over R9 000 raised and hopes of more donations in the pipeline, she will meet with Ntuli soon to hand over the money.
‘Financial assistance is probably the most efficient means of helping Ntuli as funds can then be used for what she needs. Sharing the fundraising campaign on Facebook or email and helping to publicise it further will help to generate more funds.
‘Let’s turn Ntuli’s luck around and help raise funds to rebuild her home and replace the possessions she lost in the fire,’ said Morrison
For now, Ntuli has to share the only room left standing after the blaze with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Anyone willing to assist can contact Alice Morrison via email 212557767@stu.ukzn.ac.za
Melissa Mungroo