Thank you! You were there for the Tongaat tornado victims

There are countries in the world where a tornado can be part of the regular weather pattern. But South Africa isn’t one of those countries. So when a tornado ripped through Tongaat in KwaZulu-Natal on 3 June, it caught everyone off guard.

A survivor described the event: “It was a terrifying experience! The sky was almost black, rain was pouring down, then it turned to ice. The noise was deafening. Roofs were blown off. Glass was flying everywhere.

Look now, my house is just a pile of corrugated iron and rubble. I have nothing left, no food, no shelter, no water, not even a blanket and nowhere to go.”

The destruction was awful to witness. Whole buildings were reduced to rubble. Homes and their contents were lost. And thousands of people were left displaced.

It’s on occasions like this that we give thanks for friends like you. People who care enough to make sure that when a disaster occurs, help is available.

Your regular support meant that we had the resources for our churches to bring some immediate relief. Day and night you helped us to provide blankets, meals, medical and other essential supplies. And we wish you could have felt the enormous gratitude that came from this distressed community.

But your help didn’t end there. With the great need to rebuild homes, we were able to provide 170 families with building vouchers worth R2000 to get them started.

Unlike a tornado which is a rare experience, your kindness is something that can be relied upon. Thank you, and God bless you.