Every human being matters, especially those forgotten by society.
When the fire tore through Jika Joe informal settlement in the early hours of that Saturday night in December, it destroyed almost 100 dwellings and left 164 people destitute. Most escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs. We went to the hall, we cooked, we collected, we served. And in the middle of all of that... we met him... the man in the wheelchair
He is 27 years old. He is a paraplegic. He is a musician. He has an extraordinary mind, a warm personality, and an entire life still ahead of him. He woke up that night to the smell of smoke. He looked down and saw that his socks were on fire. He got himself out of his shack before it was consumed by flames, but not without injuries, and not without his wheelchair being damaged in the process. He was rushed to hospital, treated, and sent back. Back to the hall. Back to nothing. He had developed a severe bedsore from being bed-ridden, and the hospital had done nothing to address it. He had a broken wheelchair. No clothing. No medical mattress. No ID. No grant card. No safe place to live. He was, for all intents and purposes, invisible.
"He Will No Longer Be Invisible"
Mark took matters into his own hands immediately to ensure this young man received the medical care he deserved. And I made him a promise. "I have served and loved all the people in the last two days and the devastation they are facing, but I befriended a man I vow to change his life. He will no longer be invisible. Mark and I care very much for him and will do our best to change his life. The invisible man, my new friend. I've got your back from this day onwards. We will find him a place and will not leave him to be invisible any more."
Because here is the truth: his lower body may not function but his mind does. His personality does. His dreams do. He was a musician before all of this. He failed matric and had spoken to me about office management at a FET college. His lower body is broken, not his mind, personality or life
What He Needs
Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have already secured sponsors for a new wheelchair, education, a learner's licence (one day he can get a customised car), life skills training, clothing, and bedding. But there is still more to do as he rebuilds his life.
Thank You to everyone who responded, who donated, who showed up. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. To read more about the wider community response to the Jika Joe fire, Good Things Guy covered the story beautifully: https://www.goodthingsguy.com/community-fire-support/.
We ask that you continue to uphold all those affected in your prayers, including those still working to rebuild long after the cameras have gone.
Because no one should ever be invisible.
