Abahlali base-Elyria uKody noTina bebengalindelanga ukuba babe ngabazali abangekafiki.
“Siye sasuka ekubeni sisibini esiselula esikwiminyaka yethu yokuqala yama-20 singenandawo yokuhlala, saza ngequbuliso kwafuneka sithwale uxanduva,” watsho uTina njengoko wayekhumbula ukuba kwakunjani ukubamba abatshana bomyeni wakhe.
Nangona iintliziyo zaso zanda nentsapho yaso, esi sibini safumanisa ukuba ubomi buxakekile yaye nezimali zixinene. Ngemvume yomzali wala makhwenkwe, uKody wawabanga kwimbuyekezo yerhafu iminyaka emibini ngaphandle kwengxaki.
Kodwa xa i-IRS yagqiba ekubeni iphicothe, usapho lwasokola ukunika ubungqina bokuba la makhwenkwe ayephantsi kwawo. Ejongene ne-10,000 yeedola kwiirhafu ezingemva, u-Kody wafikelela kuNcedo lwezoMthetho, apho ivolontiya ye-ACT 2 yangaphakathi uJohn Kirn wanceda esi sibini ukuba sichonge kwaye sifumane amaxwebhu abawadingayo.
“Ibiyingxaki, kodwa igqwetha lethu belilungile. Usincedile kakhulu, esifowunela qho ngeveki ukuze asihlaziye,” utshilo uTina. "Kwaye ngoku siyawazi ukuba ngawaphi amaxwebhu esiwadingayo kwixa elizayo."
Njengotata owamkelayo ngokwakhe, uKirn ubaxabisa kakhulu abathengi bakhe bepro bono. “Bangabantu abathandeka kakhulu,” watsho uKirn. “Ingxaki yayikukuba de inkundla inike ilungelo lokugcina umntwana, kwafuneka baqinisekise ukuba banabo ngokwenene ebakhathalelo, kwaye sabakhokela kwinkqubo.”
Kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezalandelayo, uKirn wanceda esi sibini ukuba sifumane kwaye singenise amaxwebhu esiwafunayo kwi-IRS. Kwakhona bafumana enye indawo eqaqambileyo ebomini babo. UKirn wathi: “Kwalandela inani lesithathu, umtshana omncinane.
Ngokumelwa kunye nesikhokelo soNcedo lwezoMthetho, usapho lwafumana iindaba zokuba alusenalo elo tyala limangalisayo. Kwaye ngelixa abatshana baka-Kody baphinde badibana nomzali wabo wemvelo, esi sibini sikwinqanaba lokugqibela lokuba ngabazali banaphakade kunye nekhaya elikhuselekileyo, elizinzileyo lomtshana omncinci kaKody.
Umbulelo okhethekileyo kwiCleveland Foundation's Encore Prize kunye neLegal Services Corporation Pro Bono I-Innovation Fund yokuxhasa inkqubo yamavolontiya ye-Legal Aid's ACT 2 kumagqwetha adla umhlala-phantsi kunye nasemva kwexesha lomsebenzi.