FOR years the huge family of 27 members from Evaton in the Vaal, south of Joburg, lived in a run-down house.
Thanks to the Stephen Zondo Foundation, today the Rathulo family is living in a big house built to accommodate all of them.
But they are not the only family who had a stroke of luck.
Gogo Lydia Mphuthi, who lives with her granddaughter Lebohang, also received a much bigger house.
Archbishop Stephen Zondo of Rivers of Living Waters Ministries officially handed over the houses on Saturday.
He told Daily Sun through their foundation they have sent children to school, bought shoes and paid for their school fees from grade R to university level.
“Last year we went to Venda and built five houses and a community hall,” said Zondo.
“We are back now and decided to find out how many elders we could help.”
He said they found gogo Lydia with a bad knee, struggling to move around her house.
“We expanded her house so she could move about more freely,” he said.
“I’m very excited with the work the church and foundation is doing to give people dignity.”
Augustus Rathulo (77) said: “I’m very happy and content because I lived my life in constant suffering.
“The church has taken me out of slavery.
“Today my big family has a proper structure that we can call a home, not a dilapidated house like the one we used to live in.”
Madisebo Kgomoyasera, MMC of housing in Sedibeng Municipality, said she was humbled by the way the foundation was giving back to the community.
