Organisations and individuals are banding together to help those left homeless and traumatised after last week's fire in a Joburg building that claimed 77 lives. Survivors, already in dire straits, were left with even less than they had before.
'Do you know where we can create an identification card, not from Home Affairs, but a stamped card with a person's details?" says community activist Nigel Branken to a room full of people offering their assistance.
When asked whether he means an affidavit, he says, yes, but in the form of a card, so that people can walk around with it easily - so that they will have some dignity. You have to have dignity, he emphasises, to which all in the room agree.
They call a person who might be able to assist and swiftly move on to the next item so that victims of last week's Albert Street fire can be helped as quickly as possible. It's a mammoth task as the needs range from food and shelter to access to legal aid.
Based in The Star building in downtown Johannesburg, the African Diaspora Forum (ADF), along with Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (Kaax), has partnered with multiple individuals and organisations to help victims of the 31 August fire who haven't gone to the shelters offered by the municipality.
It's estimated that 80 to 100 people of the around 400 who lived in the building chose not to go...
