Community solidarity in full display at Jona Vaughan Home [Pics]

The Citizen

19-06-2025

THE Jona Vaughan Home for the Handicapped in Amanzimtoti has enjoyed a facelift and received help for its water and electricity woes after the community took time on June 7 to sweep, mop, mow, and repair the home.
Charmaine Maas of the Jona Vaughan Parents Association said the community, organisations and companies pledged their time, energy and resources to brighten up the home.
Also read: Jona Vaughan's closure rumours denied despite hardships
'We put out an appeal to the community through our Friends of Jona Vaughan Facebook page. We had volunteers come in, we had churches and a rehabilitation centre approach us to assist, as well as several companies who have brought in generators to keep us up and running and Jojo tanks to keep our residents hydrated and hygienic. Everyone that attended has given up their time to do electrical work, maintenance, plumbing, cleaning and so on. Today was basically a voluntary work party to get everything cleaned out and tidy,' said Maas.
The gutters were cleaned, the grass was cut, and debris was removed. Each of the cottages and bathrooms was high-pressure washed and sterilised while broken wheelchairs and walkers were repaired, laundry was done, and chemical supplies were restocked. Youth in attendance entertained the residents while they waited to get back to their rooms.
'We did our best to bring the home back to its former glory, and to make things more comfortable and homey for the residents,' she added.
René Matthews, of the Kingsburgh Lions Club, along with her team, were among the many who put in the time and effort at the home.
She painted a picture of the way the home appeared, 'The home looked abandoned and it was very sad to see the place looking chaotic all over, inside and out. There did not appear to be any maintenance done for a long time. In the linen room, you could not see the floor as bin bags and boxes were piled up, without any systems in place to maintain order. It begs the question what staff members, some of whom worked there for over a decade, are doing that the place looks so dirty and neglected.'
On June 3, Maas said that the municipality cut the electricity supply as the electricity bill is in deficit of R4.4m and Durban and Coastal Mental Health, the body under which the Jona Vaughan Home operates, do not have the funds to pay the bill.
'They came to cut the water on June 7, but we managed to persuade them to give us some grace, but again, there is no money to pay the water bill. The community have stepped in to give us some generators so that we can have power for around four hours a day. This means that we can't keep any food on site and the medication that needs to be stored in the cold rooms and in the fridges can't be stored appropriately. People from around the neighbourhood are assisting us in storing the food. So that is a health hazard for the residents. Another hazard comes in the form of lacking electricity. With no lights, the residents can fall and get injured. We can't bathe them with hot water as well, which is worrisome for their hygiene.'
How you can help:
With the home in desperate need of funding, and the subsidies Durban and Coastal Mental Health receives from government not being enough to sustain the home, there is a shortfall every month.
You can donate to the organisation's back-a-buddy with the following link: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/jona-vaughan-home.
Alternatively, donate to:
Jona Vaughan Parents Association
Bank Name: Nedbank
Branch Code: 130826
Account number: 1304130959
Consider donating the following food items:
Minced meat (x2 5kg packs)
Jungle Oats (8kg bag)
Bread (residents need 22 loaves a day)
Macaroni (14kg)
Dhall (10kg)
Lentils (10kg)
Soya mince (x10 400g packs without chillies)
Smaller quantities are more than welcomed as well, as any contribution will make a world of difference in the lives of the residents.
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