---
title: "Stoking the fire: A quiet moment in Bulungula, Eastern Cape"
description: "Outside her home in Bulungula, Eastern Cape, NoWonga Zintoyinto crouches beside an open fire, feeding sticks into the flames. As the pot begins to steam and crackle, the boiling water readies itself for tea, cooking, and bathing — part of a daily rhythm shaped by resilience and routine."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "PHOTO ESSAY"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-07-23-felix-open-fire/"
published: "2025-07-23T16:36:54"
updated: "2025-07-23T16:45:11"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 189
---

# Stoking the fire: A quiet moment in Bulungula, Eastern Cape

> Outside her home in Bulungula, Eastern Cape, NoWonga Zintoyinto crouches beside an open fire, feeding sticks into the flames. As the pot begins to steam and crackle, the boiling water readies itself for tea, cooking, and bathing — part of a daily rhythm shaped by resilience and routine.

Published 23 July 2025, 18:36 SAST · Updated 23 July 2025, 18:45 SAST

## Key points
- As dawn breaks on July 17, 2025, NoWonga Zintoyinto masters the art of multitasking—juggling buckets of water, a blackened pot, and the daily grind, all while waiting for her morning brew to boil over.
- NoWonga Zintoyinto starts her day early, carrying water to prepare for her family's needs.
- She uses a blackened pot and an open fire to boil water, showcasing traditional cooking methods.
- As the water heats, Zintoyinto manages various morning duties around her home.
- The routine highlights the daily challenges faced by families reliant on basic resources for survival.

## Content

![In the early morning,NoWonga Zintoyinto carries a bucket filled with water to her home to prepare boiling water for the family. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/jLcFI5h1av6nErwNFC7f1B1dVpE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_1693.jpg)

*In the early morning, NoWonga Zintoyinto carries a bucket filled with water to her home to prepare boiling water for the family on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![In the early morning,NoWonga Zintoyinto carries a bucket filled with water to her home to prepare boiling water for the family. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/PKOl11nNvaDg0GUwe4EJX3HHs0Q=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_1741.jpg)

*Here again, NoWonga Zintoyinto carries a bucket filled with water to her home to prepare boiling water for the family on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![NoWonga Zintoyinto carries a blackened pot outside her home to prepare boiling water for the family. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ChlaxF5cA2A1j5BXV9fXGCgz5l8=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_1759.jpg)

*NoWonga Zintoyinto carries a blackened pot outside her home to prepare boiling water for the family on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![NoWonga Zintoyinto feeds dry sticks under a blackened pot an open fire outside her home to prepare boiling water for the family. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/1v9j9OI199vTSEXOkuwEEMCtA98=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_1878.jpg)

*NoWonga Zintoyinto feeds dry sticks under a blackened pot, on an open fire outside her home to prepare boiling water for the family on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![NoWonga Zintoyinto feeds dry sticks under a blackened pot an open fire outside her home to prepare boiling water for the family. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/qzCYua_ExpMAikuW_jD9yTbeyFE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_1924.jpg)

*NoWonga Zintoyinto checks the pot on an open fire outside her home to prepare boiling water for the family on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![While waiting for water to boil,NoWonga Zintoyinto goes about her morning duties in and around her home. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/KYq-JqNjxz838IsDVZp7aUlbF4w=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_1992.jpg)

*While waiting for water to boil, NoWonga Zintoyinto goes about her morning duties in and around her home on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![While waiting for water to boil,NoWonga Zintoyinto goes about her morning duties in and around her home. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/IqDVqbkiIpzn2b3ThyiXZwEG8eo=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_2010.jpg)

*A little later, close to her home on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*

![While waiting for water to boil,NoWonga Zintoyinto goes about her morning duties in and around her home. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/R_-kHDQX-zatUH389_FZIYQGLTg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WFD_2043.jpg)

*Waiting for water to boil, NoWonga Zintoyinto, on 17 July 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla). DM*