Teachers in Putfontein‚ Benoni protected the children in the creche as the roof was ripped off during the Joburg Storm. They ‘became umbrellas’ of safety.
As seen in the image above, the roof of the creche was ripped clean off, leaving a distinct line between the painted wall and where the roof once was. Amongst the items salvaged from the storm stands one of the Grade R teachers responsible for saving all the children.
Busisiwe Makhudu and Marriane Mzaza, two teachers caring for the children in the creche, used their bodies as human shields and protected 21 children, the youngest only 1-year-old.
The Norah Moriri creche in Putfontein‚ Benoni has been completely destroyed by a massive storm that ripped through the area on Monday. Thankfully through the chaos, two heroes emerged.
“We were waiting for transport home. It was at around four in the afternoon. So, as usual, the children were in the hall playing‚ about 21 of them. It started being windy‚ then the door wouldn’t close. So we tried to close it and even placed chairs to stop it from opening. The kids were still playing and we thought maybe it’s one of those. Then within a minute we realised that it was windy outside and we could not see anything through the window‚” – Busisiwe Makhudu
Worried for the children’s safety, they ushered them to the back corner of the hall away from the windy entrance.
“We became their umbrella. We told ourselves that if anything happened it should happen to us and not the children. What’s worse is that we had a one-year-old baby among us and it put more pressure on us. As we were by the corner and the two of us covering them‚ the children were scared but calm and that helped.
“Within minutes it was over‚ just like that. It was like a horror movie of some sort. When we stood up and opened our eyes‚ we saw no wall and no building. All we could think of was whether the babies were fine and they were okay. Another thing is that we had our boss in the other office‚ the owner. Then she came rushing and praying‚ she was so strong‚” – Marriane Mzaza
The ordeal was terrifying but thankfully the teachers and children remained calm throughout. Gift of the Givers has been on site handing out warm cooked meals and food parcels to everyone affected. Other organisations are stepping in to assist wherever possible.
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