Builders Week March 2009 - We did it!

We successfully completed our 7th Building Blitz in Mbekweni, in Paarl. 500 Volunteers built 78 homes for 900 beneficiaries living in the township, who were living in shacks. For these families it will be their first time to have a home with running water and electricity. It was with great joy and pride that each of the teams handed over the keys to over 78 beautiful new homes to beneficiary families. After a week of toil, back ache and heart ache, tears of joy and pride rolled down the cheeks of the 500 Volunteers as they handed over their houses to the beneficiary families.

One of the families to get a house was mother of two Ndileka Oliphant. Ndileka has been waiting 30 long years for a home and for her young son, Endinako, it was a particularly special occasion as it was his first birthday! Mrs. Oliphant is one of 900 other people living in shacks in the township and thanks to the support of our wonderful Volunteers they are all finally getting a place to call home with their own running water and electricity. When her 8 year old daughter Lihle was asked what would be the first thing she would do in her new home her immediate reply was ‘take a long shower’.

Speaking at the beneficiary handover Niall Mellon said: “The week has been a phenomenal success for the charity and it is an honour for me to stand amongst my fellow countrymen at such a proud moment. I am especially proud of our 300 women Volunteers who took to painting, block laying and plastering like ducks to water and with enthusiasm like no other.  This was the first Building Blitz that we have had a majority of women, it was so successful that I am now concerned for the few male construction workers in Ireland! The quality of work in building these homes has been outstanding and we are very proud to hand over the houses to so many families who so richly deserve them.”

During the week of the Blitz the Volunteers were visited by Premier of the Western Cape, Lynne Brown, Dr. Alberta Mayberry, US Consul General of the USA, Mayor of Drakenstein, Charmain Manuel  and Irish Ambassador to South Africa, Colin Wrafter.  Indeed, the Premier, Lynne Brown announced that she herself wants to build for 2 to 3 days in the next Building Blitz. In a major coup for the charity Niall Mellon also announced that the US Senate last week passed legislation directing USAID to consider the Niall Mellon Township Trust for funding. The charity was singled out in an important Appropriations Bill which was passed by the US Senate. 

Thank you again to all our wonderful Volunteers and hopefully we will see you again soon on our next Building Blitz!

Fact File on Mbekweni, Paarl:

• Paarl, meaning Pearl in English is located in a very scenic wine region.
• Former South African president, Nelson Mandelatook his first steps on his Long Walk to Freedom in Paarl.
• Alongside such beauty is the township of Mbekweni where the poverty and deprivation is a stark contrast to the magnificence of the area.
• Mbekweni has a population of 9,000 people and is a very poor rural community.
• Project 2 will provide housing for 649 families. The beneficiaries in Project 2 have been on the City’s waiting list for housing since 1993.
• Mbekweni is a place of wide spread unemployment.
• Poverty and malnutrition are rife and there is a high incidence of HIV and AIDS, made worse by the lack of adequate nutrition.