Joyfulness, gratitude, and heartfelt emotion filled the day as the HDA team spent time with Gogo Sophie Shandu (103) and her family, reaffirming the Agency’s commitment to compassion, dignity, and community upliftment.

Gogo Shandu is a beneficiary of a standard two-bedroom house comprising of a living area and kitchen, built by the Housing Development Agency (HDA), in line with the assigned mandate and following a structural integrity assessment commissioned by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements (KZN DHS).

The assessment was conducted in the Illovu/Felekisi area within the eThekwini Municipality, where Gogo Shandu had been residing in a single-room mud-block dwelling that posed serious safety and structural risks. At 103 years old, Gogo Shandu lives with her five children and two grandchildren. Guided by its mandate to support sustainable human settlements and protect vulnerable households, the HDA intervened decisively by constructing a safe and permanent home.

This act of compassion was made possible through the collective generosity of members of the HDA Executive Committee (EXCO), led by Chief Executive Officer Mr. Bheki Khenisa, who responded to an internal HDA CARES call to action by donating towards the initiative.

In a deeply moving moment, Gogo Shandu humbly expressed her appreciation: ‘Niyobongwa yiNkosi, anginawo amaningi.’ (‘May the Lord bless you, I have no other words.’)