Good Morning Angels: Helping a grandmother during the coronavirus lockdown

BACKGROUND: Life has been a financial struggle for single mom and granny, 66-year old Denise van der Merwe, even during the better times. Denise was employed as a contract worker for the state, until she was told to retire - against her will, but at retirement age of 65. Due to her being she on a contract for 10 years, she had to retire without a pension or medical aid benefits - this while being the primary carer for her teenaged grandson, Llewellyn. With the Corona virus national lockdown firmly in place, Denise reached out to Good Morning Angels in desperation. Her small income, which she earns from sewing baby bedding, can simply not sustain herself and her grandson.

Llewellyn is in Grade 10 now and goes to a boarding school. He is usually home on weekends and school holidays, but during the lockdown, Denise cannot afford to buy food and pay for rent.

Llewellyn’s mom, Denise’ daughter, has been overseas for the past 8 years, trying to earn a living as a yoga instructor. She’s currently in India  and - when she can - sends Denise R 2000,00 a month to cover Llewellyn’s pocket money, phone and food. She and his dad, whom she never married, pays the school and boarding fees.

Denise is worried that she will lose the roof over their heads, as she’s unable to scrape together the R4000,00 rent for their one bedroom flat. “I live on bread, that’s my food, but I cannot let Llewellyn down. He studies very hard at school and wants to become a Mechanical Engineer one day. He wants to make something of his life”. 

REQUEST FOR: Denise van der Merwe and her grandson Llewellyn 

ANGEL: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC 

SPONSORING: The GMA Fund will assist Denise with her rent of R 4000,00 for the next six months - that’s a total of R 24 000,00!

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Goeie môre,

Ek het regtig 'n Engel vandag nodig. Ongelukkig is dit nie vir iemand anders,  maar vir myself.

Ek is afgetree. Ek het vir die Staat gewerk as 'n kontrakwerker, dus toe, ek moes aftree, het ek nie 'n pensioenfonds gehad nie.

Ek is regtig behoeftig. My dogter is in Indië. Haar seun is by my.  Sy stuur maandeliks geld om sy sakgeld, sy data en kos te betaal.  Maar sy stuur dit nie gereeld elke maand nie. Die bedrag wat sy stuur is R2000. Dit moet ek as volg indeel: R400 vir haar seun se sakgeld, R465 vir Vodacom dan die res vir kos en krag. My groot probleem is my huur.

Ek kan nie hierdie maand my huur betaal nie. Ek doen naaldwerk vir mense om geld te verdien, maar ongelukkig is dit maar n druppel in die emmer.

My kleinseun is gewoonlik in die week in die koshuis. Ek oordryf nie … in die week eet ek 'n toebroodjie vir die dag, sodat ek vir hom naweke goeie kan kos gee.  

Nou met die Lockdown, is hy elke dag by my en ek moet vir hom kos gee.  Asseblief, as julle my net met my huur kan help. Dit is R4000. Asseblief.

Dankie

Denise