I thought I was devastated by the fire yesterday/today at Hout Bay, Cape Town. I’m not.
Devastated is losing almost everything you own in a fire that spread because you couldn’t afford to live somewhere safe. Devastating is not having somewhere where to sleep and start again from the beginning. Devastating is not having the privilege of insurance, savings or backup plans to start you over.
I’m heart broken – but can’t use the word devastated. I was a few hundred meters away today and luckily sense prevailed and stopped me just turning up on the spot. RESPOND is a network who are equipped to adequately respond to what’s happened. One of the immediate needs is for the kids to receive stationary and school clothes. This costs R500. I’m donating that now and want to encourage my family and friends to do the same. We may be encouraged to generally give ‘in secret’, but I think this situation warrants encouraging each other proactively and motivating each other. Who else is willing to donate that?
* Picture courtesty Jay Badenhorst of @47Sundays
