Life in informal settlements is hard and challenges there include the daily struggle of preparing warm water for pupils and adults going to work.
An unemployed man at Newtown informal settlement in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, has given himself a daily task to make a difference.
He wakes up very early to make sure local kids in his area bath with warm water before rushing off to school
Eugene Raphala, 40, makes the fire from the firewood he collects from the nearby bush. He used big pots to boil water, benefiting up to 20 families and about 40 school children.
He told Sowetan yesterday that he wakes up around 3.30am everyday to make fire, and that parents of the children he prepares the water for start to queue up just after 5 am.
Raphala said warm water is a luxury at the informal settlement as many households are poor and rely on unsafe paraffin stoves for both cooking and heating water. He said the paraffin stoves have proven to be a fire hazard, especially when used by children.
“I’m doing this because I love people and I also love kids. Their parents are forced to spend a lot of money on paraffin because there's no electricity in New Town," Raphala said.
His free community service started last Wednesday to the delight of parents.
He said he has plans to expand and cover more households, and also include a laundry service for school uniforms.
He said he realised that getting water was a costly exercise as some pupils end up missing school or school buses as a result of being late due not having warm water in the morning.
"There are times when there's no paraffin in their home. I just don’t want to see pupils in my area going to school without taking a bath or smelling bad," Raphala said.
Raphala said said his service was more than just giving water to the children or their parents.
“I always make sure I have boiling water available from 5am so that pupils don’t come and have to turn back (without water) and I also encourage them to love school and be proud of where they come from," Raphala said.
He said community members thank him by donating wood that they no longer need. "Soon I’m planning to start washing and ironing school uniforms and to also polish school shoes."
He said he got retrenched last year from a motor spares shop he worked at after the business was one of the casualties of the Covid-19 lockdown.
"I appreciate what he is doing in our community as unemployment is rife in my area and they don't thank him with money but thank him to get wood at the bush," parent Tshepo Matlala said.
Another parent, Kedibone Mashakeng, 31, said Raphala's service has made life a bit easier for her and has greatly benefitted her two children.
Mashakeng said she makes an effort to give Raphala wood regularly so that the burden of collecting wood everyday is reduced.
Abel Mosoathupa, 65, another parent, said he's no longer spending as much money on paraffin since Raphala started helping his family with warm water and can now use his money on food.
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