Despite the fact that it has been two weeks since a posh house was handed over to them by the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti, the Ndlovu couple of Shibangwa village in Malamulele are still overjoyed.

The house was built for the destitute family of four, Mr Edward Ndlovu (60) and his wife Mjaji (57) and their two children. They are unemployed and survive on the grant Mr Ndlovu receives as a disabled person. That, however, changed after the intervention of 21 youths. They are in a national rural service corps at Madzahisi College at Madonsi, and decided to build the house for the poor family as part of their training.

This is a modern six-roomed house, with three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and a lounge.

When presenting the house, Nkwinti was full of praises for the youths and the director of Madzahisi College, Dr Tinyiko Khosa, who donated material for the house. Calling them “activists for development,” Nkwinti said local young people and the business community should take a cue from them and do something for the community.

He said the youths phoned his office and said they wanted the Minister to come and hand over the house, and he was not going to disappoint them. “I know that you are unemployed as you have finished your training. My advice to you is to come together as a cooperative and build houses for people,” he said.

One of the youths, Dieketseng Mashego, said most of the youths who built the house came from Sekhukhune district, while some were from Mopani. She said they decided to leave a lasting legacy in the area, after they had seen the conditions the family were living under while they were doing their training in the area.

The new owner of the house, Edward Ndlovu, said getting a house was a miracle for him. “When sleeping in my hut, I could see the moon from inside, and during heavy rains we would go and ask for shelter in my sister’s  huts,” he said. His sister, Ms Celia Ndlovu, said the donation to her brother was God’s answer to his suffering.

The family received another boost, when the head of community affairs of Do Lite Transport, Mr Andrew Kotoane, presented them with furniture.