World

Stranger raises money to buy house for unemployed man who beg for alms

Friday, October 23, 2020 at 1:01 PM by Tunde Ososanya Khadijah Thabit

- A young man, who lost his job due to the pandemic, has reecieved help from a stranger after taking to the streets to beg

- Lusindiso Malgas's humorous way of begging got the attention of a stranger who offered to buy him a house

- The stranger opened a GoFundMe for the cause and Good Samaritans are responding with donations

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of South Africans to lose their jobs. Amongst them is a 27-year-old father, Lusindiso Malgas.

Malgas, who originally came from the Eastern Cape, lost his job as a warehouse packer. As a dad of three, Malgas had to come up with a way to generate income.

However, job hunting in the current economic climate is proving to be nearly impossible. So, Malgas decided to seek for help on the streets..

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Taking to the streets of Cape Town, the 27-year-old asked motorists for money. However, instead of begging using his tragic story, the dad made hilarious placards that put smiles on people's faces.

He said:

“When I lost my job, I was like what am I going to do? How am I going to survive? All I know is how to make people laugh and how to talk to people. I had no choice but to work and put food on the table.”

Funny placards inspire Good Samaritan to buy a house for jobless dad — Jobless father of three, Lusindiso Malgas, has put smiles on the faces of motorists who pass him every day with his placards. Photo: Supplied
Source: UGC

His warm personality and witty signs caught the attention of a kind man. Brendan Cottle, a 35-year-old business consultant, decided he wanted to help the father of three get back on his feet.

So, on July 22, Cottle launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to buy Malgas a house. The BackaBuddy campaign has thus far raised over R34,000 (N801,301.80) towards the fundraising goal of R250,000 (N5,892,492.58)

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Not only will the house be a dream come true for Malgas, but it will also allow him to reunite with his children - who are currently living with their grandparents.

Cottle was quoted saying:

“Seeing Lusindiso’s smile brightened up my morning commute and I know the same can be said for many others. I am a very optimistic and positive person and when I saw Lu's smile and happiness to do what he was doing, made me think about his and the situation of others, especially during the country lockdown. I hope with this campaign, Lusindiso’s story can reach more people and that his positivity can circle the globe.”

Over 130 people - both locally and internationally - have contributed to Malgas' home.

He said:

“I would like to thank the Capetonians, as well as people across the country and overseas who have helped me and understood my situation. Those are the good people. I don’t know how I survived. But I did. God is great!”