April 2018, Jane received the keys to her very own home. She was widowed in 2010, making her the sole provider for her 3 children and her grandson. Read the incredible story below of meeting her partway to help her achieve her dreams.

Jane was the youngest of 6 siblings. She grew up caring for her elderly mother and using their social grant to put food on the table and have the necessities to live.

After her husband passed away, Jane sought to do everything she could to provide for her family’s needs. She had big dreams for her children and wanted to do everything she could to help those dreams come true.

By the beginning of 2018, her shack was becoming smaller and smaller. She earned money by doing laundry for a family in her community, but it wasn’t enough to repair the old, weathered zinc walls, so she just moved the good pieces further in to keep the rain out.

Despite her desperate situation, Jane was slowly buying bricks to build herself a new house. She wasn’t a helpless victim at all. She just needed a little help to ensure they had a safe, warm place to lay their heads at night.

She was overcome with emotion when we told her the news that we were going to build a house for her. And when she received the keys to that house, well, she broke out in beautiful sounds of African singing quickly followed by her neighbors.

After Jane and her 3 kids, Butshabelo, Phidisho, and Kgolufesto, and her grandson, Mcendisi had lived in the house for a few months, we followed up to see how it was going.

What’s it like now that you have a new house?

Jane: I love everything about this new house. I love that I have a better bed, that it’s warm, and that there is a better roof with no leaks. I have a big space where I can store all my belongings. We used to have a lot of rats in the shack, and so far the new house is quiet.

What’s the most exciting thing about this house?

Butshabelo: I love that I have a room of my own. The room is big enough where I can store my own things. The whole house is big enough for all of us to fit in.

What’s the difference between your old house and the new one?

Phidisho: The new one is all bricks and no wood. I like that now we have windows for the air to come into the house. And we have a good roof that doesn’t have holes.

What do you love about your new house?

Kgolufesto: I have my own bed, and the rooms are big. Now we are able to put our things away in the rooms.

Watch the progress of Jane’s house and the singing that broke out when she received her keys!

This home was built through the fundraising efforts and generosity of Keith Crosby. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! To be a part of funding a home for the most vulnerable, visit our Get Involved page.