Clothes bound for Africa destroyed in fire

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A Sioux Falls nonprofit is looking for donations after a fire destroyed clothes that were about a month away from being sent to West Africa.

Simplice and Delphine Noutsougan used to be teachers in Togo, West Africa but moved to Sioux Falls over a decade ago. To give back to their home, they started SIMDEL Children’s Education Ministry in 2022 to support the education needs of primary school students in Togo.

“Our dream is to have smiles to children’s faces,” Simplice Noutsougan said.

Early Wednesday morning, a fire broke out at a 12-unit garage near 57th Street and Mac Arthur Lane in Sioux Falls. Inside were clothes that Simplice and Delphine planned to send to Togo.

“There were good clothes, good condition, gently used. Some of them were very new,” Simplice Noutsougan said.

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The clothes were destroyed.

“When I saw the clothes burning… when all the clothes were burned, my mind stopped,” Delphine Noutsougan said.

“It should be around for 400 children, and all is burned. We had a lot of toys, too. We had a bike, and everything is burnt,” Simplice Noutsougan said.

But they will still fight to get clothes to Togo by the summer.

“Donations should be very welcome. Any kind of donation, like clothes, like money, if we can buy clothes, they are welcome,” Simplice Noutsougan said.

“If people could donate, that’d be amazing. It could affect a lot of people in Togo,” Delphine and Simplice’s daughter, Jennifer Noutsougan said.

All to help the family continue to give back.

If you would like to donate clothes, you can bring them to the 1st Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Falls. You can also donate to a GoFundMe.