RED HILL INFERNO - Appeal to HELP

Red Hill, Cape Peninsula

09 February 2008 

Raging fires across the Cape Peninsula have destroyed houses and left people with nothing.
 The runaway fire did the most damage in Red Hill, an informal settlement, where at least 55 houses have been burned down and more than 90 people have been displaced.
 “All I have left is the clothes on my body,” says Wonder. A single guy living in Red Hill. His house was completely burned to the ground while he was at work.
 Global Challenge (GC) Staff who is working with All Nations in the area decided to visit Red Hill and access the damage.
 “We were completely shocked at the extent of the damage,” says Stefan Kleyn, GC Staff member.

“As we were walking through the area we came across the corpses of dogs and other animals trapped in the fire,” he said.
 Because the houses were mostly built of highly flammable materials such as wood not much was left over. Houses were literally burned to the ground and all that was left was the memories of what once was.
 As the team moved into the area they immediately started cleaning up. Assisting people in moving ruined stoves and other destroyed items to a rubbish heap. So clearing the areas that people can start to rebuild their lives.
“It’s almost an impossible task,” Anna- Marie Franken, GC’s International Director, said, ”one guy is still paying off his loan on his bed.”
 Most of the people in this area have informal or low-paying jobs and it will take them years to recover from the situation.
Global Challenge and All Nations have thus decided to help these people get on their feet again. For each family affected by the fire a few team members will be assigned. These team members will be responsible for the cleaning up of the lots where the family once lived and helping them to build a new house and regain certain lost items.
Tears, a local animal rescue unit, have already donated a large quantity of wood for the rebuilding. The owner of the farm where these people are living also promised to fund the first house and has already launched a fundraising project.
Except for the fact that GC and All Nations have the chance to physical rebuild these people’s lives the Lord has given us a great opportunity to meet these people and to become their friends. We hope to be able to share the good news with these families and already we have gained some trust by assisting them in the clean up.
We would like for you to pray with us for these people and that God’s fire will come and radically change their lives.
At least R10 000 is needed to build a new house for a family and get them started. If you would like to aid us financially please visit our donation page and select the Red Hill Disaster Fund. Any other donations like beds, mattresses and other basics are welcome.