The house was located on 23 Mitchell street and consisted of four bedrooms, one bathroom upstairs and one downstairs, a lounge, a room used as a dormitory, and a courtyard. Renovations and repairs were needed, in addition to furniture and basic house necessities. To raise funds for the completion of the house, Gail, a former public relations consultant, held a “kitchen tea” in which a wish list was created and publicized in the media and to those who were potential contributors. At the tea, Gail explained the reasons behind the creation of Nkosi's Haven. She explained that Nkosi's Haven was to offer a kibbutz style of living in which residents would take turns at cooking, cleaning, caring for the children, and helping care for each other as needed. Gail also told the guests that they already reached capacity for residence at the house. At the time, the house fit nine mothers and their children with presumed costs starting at R28,000 monthly. The results of the kitchen tea were successful and Gail managed to fundraise R45,000 worth of furniture and equipment, free electrical services, along with appliances valued at R30,000 for the nursery and dormitory.