A few days ago, Sylvia came into the office. (You remember Sylvia—the star of our somewhat-shelved docu-video series?)

She came to tell us that her house had blown down. I couldn’t believe it! She seemed sort of resigned to it already. There had been heavy winds the night before, but in Sylvia’s rural location the winds had been so strong that the tin roof of her rondaval blew off completely. Thankfully, nobody was living in that room. In the rural areas, most people have a few separate buildings, as opposed to one house with several rooms. The room that was damaged was a room that had been used for feeding orphans, and some of Sylvia’s craft projects.

Sylvia’s ability to cope with tragedy is incredible to me. People around here have faced so many horrible things, and somehow they manage to be grateful for what they have, rather than what they don’t.

The tin roof was torn clean off the building. It rests precariously along the side.

A few days later, Nokulunga and I decided to go and visit Sylvia’s house. I wanted to take some photographs because Priscilla mentioned that ASAP might be able to get an emergency fund together to repair the damages—especially considering that the destroyed room was used as a feeding room for orphans and vulnerable children.

What a horrible thing to have happen! Now, I’m waiting for Sylvia to return with a quotation on repair costs. The look on her face when I said ASAP might pay for the damages was too cute. Sylvia is a gem.

We love you, Sylvia!