The story of Aurelia Kaitesi's epic journey from Rwanda to South Africa with her three young sons after the deaths of her husband and five-year-old daughter brought the family two bouts of fortune - and one of misfortune.
Details of their journey were featured in the Cape Argus on June 10 in the story headed "Echoes of Rwandan pain".
She lost her husband and one daughter in the months leading up to the mass genocide, and her second daughter died from illness en route here on a boat while escaping from their home country.
Shortly after publication Kaitesi's son Deo got a call from Barry O'Donohue, the vice-principal of marketing at Varsity College in Rondebosch where Deo is studying business administration.
"He phoned me and said he had seen my story in the newspaper, and that the college was going to waive my fees for the rest of the year," Deo said.
"That is such a huge blessing for me. I work so hard at my waitering job to make sure I complete my studies, and it gets very stressful."
Deo lives with his mother, brother and adopted brother in Masiphumelele, commuting by trains and taxis to get to lectures.
In the hours between, he takes on as many shifts as possible at Cafe Roux in Noordhoek where he works as a waiter. He matriculated from Fish Hoek High School a few years ago, and set his heart on furthering his education.
"I got through my school studies by candlelight, so there was no point in stopping there," he laughed.
After the article, his mother, who has the same generous grin and sense of humour, says she also received an unexpected call.
"The premier's office phoned me and then the president's office phoned me. I was in shock because I thought maybe they had seen the article and decided to deport me to Rwanda after all.
"But actually, I was invited to breakfast with Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria. And so on July 3, I caught the flight and off I went."
At the breakfast, Mbeki gave a speech at a memorial for the immigrants killed in the xenophobic attacks.
"I was very touched by his words. He impressed on the youth to see people from other African countries as brothers and sisters, and he said Masiphumelele had set an example," Kaitesi said.
But now she faces her next battle.
Kaitesi runs a creche called Love and Care just outside Masiphumelele, and the parents of 79 children rely on her and her staff to take care of their little ones when they go off to work every morning.
"The land belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, but they are trying to sell it now so they have given us until the end of August and then we must leave," she said.
Another piece of land, partly funded by the church and partly by Kaitesi's own savings, has been secured as an alternative, but it has no buildings on it and so no shelter for the children.
"I involved the parents to come and help cut the grass and prepare the land, but our biggest problem is that we don't even have money to buy Wendy houses to provide shelter for the little ones. They range from newborn to six years, and we don't want to expose them to the elements."
But she was determined she would not let the parents down, and that, come September 1, Love and Care would be up and running in its new premises, "even if it is just the shade from the trees providing shelter".
"The parents rely on me and so we are still doing our best."