Fire at Cissie Gool House

On 27 January 2022, a fire erupted at Cissie Gool House, formerly known as Woodstock Hospital, in Cape Town. This building, repurposed as a home for several hundred residents including many elderly and children, faced a critical challenge. However, it was during these trying times that the power of cooperation and self-organization truly shone through. Remarkably, due to the high level of self-organization among the residents, no lives were lost, and no injuries were reported. Now, with the fire extinguished, this same spirit of communal resilience is being harnessed to provide shelter and support for those families who were forced to evacuate the damaged area.