How World Vision collaborated with partners and assisted a family who lost everything to fire.

By: Reentseng Phephetho, Communications and Digital Officer, Lesotho

In a small village of  Khotsang in the Mokhotlong district, the Kutlisi family faced a heart-wrenching tragedy. On December 12th, around 14:00hrs, a fire suddenly engulfed their home, reducing ‘Mabakisang Khutlisi's house to ashes, and leaving her family with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

As smoke billowed into the sky, the villagers rushed to the scene in a desperate attempt to save the house. “‘When we realized the fire, we immediately came to try and stop it, but our efforts were in vain. The men broke the windows to get inside, but it only made the flames worse,” said ‘Mahape Khutlisi, a concerned neighbour.

‘Mabakisang was not at home when the fire started. Her young daughter, who was doing laundry in a nearby river, returned to find their home engulfed in flames. The little girl stood in shock, wondering how they would survive with everything they owned burning before her eyes. “‘I was broken to find that I no longer had a home. Not a single item was saved from the fire except for the clothes we were wearing,” lamented Mabakisang.

“‘I was broken to find that I no longer had a home. - Mabakisang

The cause of the fire remains a mystery. ‘Mabakisang confirmed that there was nothing in the house that could have sparked the fire. There was no stove, no gas, no prima-stove, no electricity in the entire village, and no candles were left lit. Additionally, the village disaster management assessment report found no tangible cause for the fire. Despite the villagers’ efforts to extinguish the fire with water, the flames only grew stronger, consuming everything from beds and wardrobes to cutlery and clothes. This misfortune left the family of five; three children, the youngest eight years old, and two parents homeless.

“We are now living in fear, especially since we don’t know what caused the fire. This could happen to any of us in the community". - Mahape

In the wake of the misfortune, the Khutlisi family had no choice but to move in with ‘Mabakisang’s in-laws. The village chief, part of the village disaster management team, promptly informed the district disaster management team of the incident and within two days help arrived.

World Vision Lesotho, through the European Union in Lesotho funded 'Consolidating and Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction Project', in collaboration with the Lesotho Red Cross Society mobilized resources to support the affected family. The two partners worked closely with local authorities, the disaster management authority and the Ministry of Social Development, to provide immediate fire response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness assistance to the family and the community. These efforts were focused on addressing the specific needs of the Khutlisi family and reinforcing resilience within the village, ensuring that similar tragedies could be prevented and mitigated.

World Vision Lesotho and partners responded to the Khutlisi family’s plight by providing essential non-food items such as blankets, mattresses, pots, a prima-stove, clothes for both adults and children, rice, maize meal, cosmetics, oil, salt, and dishes. This assistance was crucial in providing immediate help to the family to enable them to continue with their lives amidst this challenge.

With the skills we’ve gained from the trainings, I believe we can manage fire better if it happens again.” ‘Mahape Khutlisi.

The Ministry of Social Development also stepped in to enroll the Khutlisi family into their social grants, a process that is currently underway. ‘Mabakisang expressed deep gratitude for the support they received during this difficult time. “I am grateful for the support my family and I got during the hardest time of our lives. We lost our home, but our lives are continuing through your assistance,” she said.

This story of the Khutlisi family’s tragedy is a stark reminder of how suddenly calamity can strike, but it also highlights the power of community and humanitarian efforts in providing relief and hope in the darkest of times.