Builders Week Success in Khayelitsha

The 2,000 Irish volunteers made history by taking part of the largest group of white people ever to house build in a township in the history of South Africa. Having set themselves the ambitious target to complete 250 houses in just one week the Irish heroes managed to exceed their target by building 253 houses. Speaking on his return home from the Building Blitz 2008.

Niall Mellon, Philanthropist and Founder of NMTT said, "Despite the economic downturn, our volunteers travelled in record numbers to help others, it is an incredible honour to stand shoulder to shoulder with 2,000 fellow Irish volunteers, as the house keys were handed to local beneficiaries giving them and their children a safe dry home this Christmas. Many of our volunteers return to Ireland uncertain of their own futures, they returned home after a week that has changed their own lives and the lives of all those whom they have housed, met, sang and wept with in South Africa.There were plenty of tear stained faces amongst the Irish volunteers and the people of Khayelitsha as the volunteers handed over the completed houses to the beneficiary families, some of whom have waited 25 years for a house."

Niall Mellon continued; "Returning home this week, local groups of volunteers are already preparing for next years' Blitz, intent on assisting each other to fundraise and boosting the representation of their own county. County pride is evident with every volunteer; they represent their county and country alike, beaming with pride as they describe their home town to local South Africans. This week they face a task of describing to their own kinfolk the sight of seeing a child smile as they cross the threshold of their new home, the incredible moment when a house is filled with laughter and it becomes their home."

Niall Mellon continued; "I can not thank the volunteers enough, for the effort and hard work carried out by each and every one of them. Throughout the year they have been busy raising funds to support the charity and for the past week they have given up their own time away from their families and loved ones to work in the searing heat of Cape Town to change the lives of those less fortunate. Every single volunteer has made a difference and we look forward to them helping us on our journey to continue making a difference in the future."

Archbishop Emeritus Tutu said it best when he visited the volunteers, "I come on behalf of those who are now occupying 10,000 beautiful, attractive homes. I come on behalf of them. Niall, you have already left an indelible mark and we will never be able to express what it must mean to those children and their parents. That they are able to walk into a home that has ceilings and a front door that locks, and for a long time they won't believe it. They simply won't believe it".

Fact File on Khayelitsha

• Khayelitsha is the largest township in Cape Town with a population of 1m people and it is the third largest in South Africa.
• Khayelitsha means “New Home” in Xhosa, which is apt given we will be building new houses there. It is one of the most marginalised and poverty stricken-townships in South Africa.
• The majority of the residents have no access to water, electricity or sanitation. Basic education and healthcare facilities are lacking.
• The unemployment rate officially stands at a staggering 50%: in reality the figure is much higher.
• There are few decent houses in the area. It is also desperately overcrowded with up to 4 families in a shack on one tiny plot.
• NMTT will build 800 houses for the community here and 250 of these will be built during the Blitz.
• Khayelitsha has one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS infection in all of South Africa. Whilst some 27% of adults are HIV positive, amongst expectant mothers, this figure may be as high as 40%.