The plans for a tea garden at Andries Olivier Durbanville Quadriplegic Centre received a boost when, among several other donations, a vibracrete wall and fence was completed last week, with electrifying still to be done.
A much-needed container was also recently donated to be used for a library in the tea garden.
The vibracrete fence was urgently needed to protect the residents from the vagrants who have put up their tents on a vacant erven between the Durbanville Clinic and the Apostolic Church – right next to the previously dilapidated boundary fence of the home.
The vulnerable residents have been terrorised for years with illegal fires to strip copper wire – resulting in breathing difficulties for some residents, deposition of human faeces, noise at night such as screaming, swearing – keeping residents awake at night.
The vagrants have also verbally threatened the residents. There were several incidents in which vagrants cut holes in the fence over the years.
The fence was cut twice in October last year.
“The same happened several times in November and December last year. The residents were concerned for their safety,” says Rosabelle Riese, a resident and chair of the home.
“We were forced in February to fork out over R10 000 to install another surveillance beam where the fence was being repeatedly cut by vagrants to gain unlawful access to our property,” she says.
They appealed to a trust, which supports people with disabilities, for help on 2 March. Only three days later they received the good news that the trust agreed to sponsor a vibracrete wall on the side of the vagrants and at the back, as well as a securview fence on the other side of the property, next to a public park.
“What a wonderful blessing. We are extremely grateful and thankful to the ‘angels’ of the trust,” Riese says.
“Jarrett Ludski who is a very good friend of our house and has our best interests at heart, is overseeing the project. We feel a great deal safer and secure now,” she says.
This project also lead to a clean-up by the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement department and metro police on 31 March as the vagrants occupied the land up to the old fence and the erection of the new vibracrete wall could not proceed, Riese says.
“They now continue to check and clear away any new structures,” she says.
A 81m² paved patch for the tea garden will soon be covered by awning professionally done by Shade Plus.
“We are grateful to Nic van der Westhuizen for giving us a sizeable discount.”
Riese says they are also very grateful to Lisa Currey from Hamiltons “for giving a tremendous headstart in covering the cost of the awning in memory of her late mom, Hylda Hamilton, who was a stalwart who spent over 20 years supporting House Andries Olivier in many ways”.
“We received a much needed container from Breadline Africa which will serve as a library – a meaningful addition to our tea garden.
“Ready made shelving was installed by Breadline Africa and we are looking forward to all book lovers spending time in our library”, says Riese.
Recently they have also received good news that the Tygerberg Rotary Club would like to get involved with renovations to include an outside wheelchair accessible toilet for visitors to the tea garden.
“We are appreciative of gifts of garden furniture and umbrellas, as well as donors who have been storing items for the project as we do not have enough storage space,” Riese says.
“We are humbled by the fact that we are blessed so abundantly and supported in the most awesome manner during challenging times. Thank you for recognising our efforts to maintain our house, provide accommodation for our hardworking team of residents and board members to employ essential staff who care for us on a daily basis,” she says.
“We continue to put our shoulders to the wheel in our attempts to create sustainable projects.”
They are hoping to launch their tea garden in the Summer of this year, she says.
- Contact Rosabelle Riese on 072 521 1160 or 021 975 5459 or riese2608@gmail.com for enquiries on how to assist the home.
