Johannesburg - Cynthia and Shadrack Chauke were unable to take their eyes off the tiny pink and white casket during a family service to celebrate the short and unfulfilled life of their three-year-old daughter Everlate on Wednesday.
The young child was in the arms of her father when heavy floods struck parts of Joburg early last month.
The pair were stuck in a tree as raging torrents of water rushed past them.
While Shadrack tried to pull his wife into the tree, he lost hold of Everlate, and her tiny frame was swept away.
It was almost two weeks later that her body was found, and only on Friday that she was definitively identified.
Arranging the funeral came as a huge difficulty for the disadvantaged Chauke family until Linda Twala, who is renowned as a philanthropist in Alexandra, came to the family's rescue and financed the service.
Shadrack and Cynthia Chauke, the parents of little Everlate who was swept away during the flash floods. Picture: Antoine de Ras/The Star
An intimate funeral ceremony was held on Wednesday morning at the Gift of the Givers Higher Ground Village in Setswetla, Alexandra.
Everlate's uncle, Kissma, remembered the little girl for her cheerful spirit and love of yoghurt.
Kissma recounted his last memory of her: “She loved yoghurt and to use my phone when I was around her.
"We spoke over the phone and she asked for a new pair of takkies, which I was hoping to give her during the festive season.”
Gift of the Givers’ Roslyn Toontas emphasised the spirit of care giving at the service.
“Everybody’s loss should teach us to come together in support,” she said.
Joel Makhondo, who spoke on behalf of the family, said Everlate’s untimely death had left them heartbroken.
“There is so much that we still expected from her to achieve and still wanted to spend so much time with Everlate. To hear of her passing has broken our hearts,” he said.
The Chaukes were supported by relatives, Gift of the Givers representatives, as well as an enthusiastic group of community members, who sang in support of the grieving family as they paid their last respects to Everlate.
Cynthia and Shadrack did not speak at the service, and left quickly afterwards to head for the Waterfall Cemetery in Midrand, where Everlate was later buried.
According to a Gift of the Givers representative, the Chauke family were keen to return to Zimbabwe after the funeral.
Meanwhile, other families that were severely affected by last month's devastating flash floods are still being housed in tents in Alex awaiting further information on housing plans for them.