A financially struggling man whose car caught fire in early December in Buffalo, New York, has been amazed by the compassion of a stranger and many other citizens who stepped in to help him.
Shukuru Mlondani, 25, was driving to school when he suddenly realized the front side of his car, a 2013 Honda Pilot, was on fire.
Just a few minutes after stopping and getting out, the front of the vehicle exploded. Distraught at losing the car that he and 10 family members—his parents, brothers, and sisters—depended on, Mr. Mlondani began crying and looked around desperately for help.
As the car continued to burn, a woman approached and called the police. A few moments later, Rory Allen, 47, another Good Samaritan, approached.
A graphic designer and owner of ZoomBuffalo, a design and print shop in Buffalo, Mr. Allen had been driving to his office when he noticed fire and smoke coming out of the car ahead of him. Pulling over, he saw the driver attempting to put out the rapidly growing blaze with his jacket. By the time Mr. Allen got to him, Mr. Mlondani was on his hands and knees, sobbing in the pouring rain.
“To most people, this wouldn’t be a normal reaction to their car; they'd be upset but maybe not as upset as he was,“ Mr. Allen told The Epoch Times. ”So, I decided to stay and try to help and console him.”
Police and fire trucks arrived to put out the fire, and while Mr. Mlondani sat in Mr. Allen’s car out of the rain, it quickly became clear that this was no ordinary situation.
A Congolese refugee, Mr. Mlondani is a young immigrant who'd arrived in the United States a year earlier with three of his brothers after escaping war in Congo through Tanzania. His parents and other siblings joined them in March 2023. They all relied on that one car for transportation to get to work and school and to shop for food.
The family had insurance, but their policy didn’t cover fire. Mr. Mlondani, a literacy student who works at a plastic factory in Orchard Park, felt bitterly shocked and upset.
“I realized why this was such a big deal to him,” Mr. Allen said, “because we live in a cold climate, and this family really relies on the car for work and to run errands, get food, those kinds of things. And he just felt like he was responsible for losing it.”
After helping Mr. Mlondani retrieve his belongings from the car, the kind businessman drove him to get his cell phone from his school, the original purpose of the trip since the student had mistakenly left it there. He then went to Mr. Mlondani’s home in East Buffalo to pick up family members, taking them to see the damaged car.
“When they saw the car, they were amazed I was still alive,” Mr. Mlondani told The Epoch Times.
“John Bair wanted to step up and help out, and so he was the first one to sort of donate. He really, I think, got the awareness for this going with his generous act,” Mr. Allen said.
On Dec. 19, Mr. Allen shared a photo on Facebook announcing that the campaign had raised over $16,000 and the funds had been successfully transferred to Mr. Mlondani’s account.
“The people of Buffalo are generous beyond belief, and they get behind their neighbors,” Mr. Allen told The Epoch Times, adding that he and his contacts simply wanted to respond the same way they would toward people who have lived in the city their whole lives.
Mr. Mlondani, who works at a plastic factory 20 minutes drive from his home, has been astounded by the goodwill he and his family have received.
He said: “Words are not enough to express my gratitude for this act of kindness from Mr. Rory Allen, Mr. John Bair, and all people in Buffalo, for me and my family during this difficult winter.”
The young immigrant says that the support he and his family have experienced since coming to America has been wonderful. A work colleague named Michael stepped in to transport them to the factory, Professional Plastics, and everyone at the workplace has been friendly and welcoming.
Mr. Mlondani says if Americas choose to continue on the path of kindness, we can transform many lives because “love can conquer all bad things.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Allen is genuinely happy to have been able to turn a “tragedy into an opportunity to help.”
“They’re the sweetest people, so happy we were able to get behind them as a city and grateful beyond belief. Hopefully, it will make them feel a part of Buffalo’s community for a long time,” Mr. Allen said.
“I think I‘d benefitted more than anybody from the situation. It kind of gives you a great outlook. And if we can have a world where people felt the need to help each other, I think we’d all live in a better place.”
