A Phoenix family is looking for support from the community to rebuild their home which was damaged in a devastating fire in November, last year.
The family narrowly escaped death when their flat in Ironbridge, Stonebridge, went up in flames while they were asleep during the night. The fire damaged their property and belongings, forcing them to move out of the flat.
Speaking to the Phoenix Tabloid, Catherine Govender, who is completely blind, said: “My 73-year-old mum, nephew, 8, daughter, 15, and I were all asleep when the fire started just after 9pm on 21 November 2023. We do not know how the fire started in the lounge but my daughter woke up after getting a smell and told me about it. She got up and went to the passage where she realised that the lounge was already in flames. We all had to escape from the burning house to get help from our neighbours.”
She said after alerting the neighbours about the fire, they came to the family’s assistance and helped put the fire out.
“Our entire home was in flames within minutes. If we were inside the house a little while longer, we all could have burnt to death from the fire. My mother suffered burns to her hair as she tried to put out the flames, it was an overwhelming moment for us as our belongings, including clothing, furniture and appliances burnt to the ground. The fire department had also been notified and arrived a few minutes later to extinguish the fire completely.
“We have lost everything, the fire caused major structural damages to our home including the entire roofing, windows, doors, furniture, curtains and our clothing. Due to the serious damages, we were forced to move out of the house and come live with my brother and his children in Greenbury, since last year. It’s been so difficult, my mum is under a lot of stress because of her house which has been home for the past 38 years. It hurts us so much to lose our home and not being able to recover from this due to finances is really heartbreaking. We are grateful to my brother for taking us in even though there is not enough space to accommodate all of us. My daughter sleeps on the floor and my mum and I share a bed. We never expected something like this to happen to us,” said Govender.
The family said that they have exhausted all avenues to get help and are now asking for assistance from the community to rebuild their home.
“We are humbly asking for assistance from the community and any good samaritans out there to help us rebuild our lives and home. We are desperate to have our home back and will be so grateful for any help that we receive,” added Govender.
The family is appealing for assistance with roofing, tiling, windows, walls, furniture, appliances and clothing. For more information on how you can lend a helping hand, contact Catherine Govender on 062 558 5893.
