South African strength, support and determination is evident in House of Mercy’s mission and its recent, much-needed transformation.

House of Mercy epitomises South Africans’ sheer determination to overcome adversity and bring hope to others. Located in Kagiso, a township situated in the Krugersdorp area west of Johannesburg, House of Mercy is a safe place that gives all people suffering from disease and neglect holistic support. The organisation was founded in 2004 by Maria Mpakathi following the passing of her brother. She used her grief as the driving force to start House of Mercy an organisation that helps others.

Today, Mpakaphi operates from a three-roomed building and currently assists 650 people every month. Sadly, House of Mercy is under-funded and in much need of assistance. Which is why the Mzansi Room Rescue stepped in to help affect positive change on site.

Mzansi Room Rescue is a YouTube home makeover show that aims to showcase how paint, DIY, décor styling and colour inspiration can transform any space, and on a modest budget, too. The show takes South Africans on a journey of renewed hope using décor, design and purpose-fit products. Mzansi Room Rescue does a public call for proposals on social media and comes to the rescue of deserving makeover recipients.

“House of Mercy’s mission is to help people who have lost their faith and the will to survive, to find meaning in life, and to help them help themselves and others. This really spoke to us,” says Bridgette Mandava, Mzansi Room Rescue Co-Founder and Interior Designer.

 “House of Mercy’s exterior and interior spaces did not reflect the incredible work being done there, the safety it offers and the support it gives. It is a glowing beacon of hope within the community and the space in which it operates deserved to shine too,” Mandava continues.

Mzansi Room Rescue set about preparing both interior and exterior surfaces, which were then recoated. An uplifting, colourful mural design was applied to the outside as a symbol of the work done within the building. On the inside, built-in seating was added to compensate for the lack of furniture.

Mzansi Room Rescue is supported by Plascon Micatex and its South Africa Strong campaign – an homage to the inherent strength in all South Africans.

South Africa Strong aims to showcase real South African stories of perseverance, determination and support. It is a celebration of courage, daily triumphs and community support, and the aid given to House of Mercy via the Mzansi Room Rescue is in line with this objective.

The Mzansi Room Rescue team opted for ultra-durable Plascon Micatex paint so that House of Mercy would not need to repaint for many years to come. Plascon Micatex is Plascon’s tough exterior coating and a literal representation of South African strength and resilience. Trusted by architects for more than 25 years, it has been the leader in exterior protection. Made in South Africa and inspired by the strength of South Africans, Plascon Micatex has recently added Polycell Fine Crack Filler to its formula. With this new addition, Plascon Micatex has even more built-in toughness and resilience.

Mzansi Room Rescue also enlisted the expertise of Plascon’s Decorative Team when making colour and technical choices. In addition, with Plascon’s head office also being located in Krugersdorp, Plascon employees volunteered to apply the paint themselves. The makeover was completed on 29 November 2020. The resulting space is now an extension of the upliftment and positivity that House of Mercy brings to its community. Injected with colour and love, it shines as a bright pillar of strength that welcomes all.

If you’d like Mzansi Room Rescue to come to your rescue, reach out to the team via the show’s social media channels:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mzansiroomrescue @mzansiroomrescue

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mzansiroomrescue/ @mzansiroomrescue

If you’d like to view previous episodes of Mzansi Room Rescue visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTRMqFOjlNY&t=164s

For more information on Mzansi Room Rescue visit www.mzansiroomrescue.co.za.

For more information on Plascon visit www.plascon.com.

For more information on House of Mercy email houseof.mercy@yahoo.com.