The Slovo Park Community Development Forum (SPCDF) and SERI mourn the passing of Lydia Lenyatsa (12 November 1983 - 11 January 2023), who was an active resident of the Slovo Park informal settlement for over 20 years.
Lydia was featured in a mini documentary entitled, 'The Struggle to be Ordinary' which looks at access to water and sanitation for people living with disabilities in informal settlements. Lydia suffered from scoliosis and had challenges with her lungs making her reliant on a regular oxygen supply from 2011. She was laid to rest on 21 January 2023 in Slovo Park and is survived by her three children, parents and her husband.
Lydia was a champion of disability rights particularly in the informal settlement context and advocated for the development of Slovo Park. Her passing is a great loss to her loved ones and the community of Slovo Park, as a whole.
Here is a link to our interview with Lydia for the documentary, 'The Struggle to be Ordinary'.