Pretoria - For 58-year-old unemployed Lina Hlatshwayo, owning a house of her own was just but a dream. But today, Hlatshwayo is the proud recipient of a newly built house in Ivory Park, Tembisa.
Hlatshwayo is one of 76 recipients of houses built by the Youth Build campaign, an initiative started by the Department of Human Settlements and private sector stakeholders with the aim of raising awareness about the construction sector and the role of the youth in it. About 80 youths from the Gauteng area volunteered their services to the initiative as part of Youth Month celebrations.
"I still can't believe that a few days ago there was nothing," she said, pointing to where the house stands.
"I never lost hope of having a house of my own, I kept on praying daily for the house, my prayers have been answered, I thank God for that," she said with excitement.
The aim of the initiative is to also promote youth access to economic opportunities within the housing sector and promote volunteerism and partnership in communities. The Youth Build campaign started on 23 May 2010 and ends on 4 June.
