It Rains Down in Africa
The Irish weather followed over 950 volunteers to Cape Town. The Trust’s 8th Building Blitz will be remembered for the exceptional level of rainfall. One newspaper reported that it was the worst weather in Cape Town had seen in 52 years. Despite the heavy toll the rain took on the work schedule, everyone united together to make up for lost time and made our mission a success. The 200 families who received beautiful homes won’t have to see their children suffer in bad weather anymore. The first Sunday it rained was our worst day with the cancellation of all work and withdrawal from site, but it became our best day, as it motivated us to work even harder for the remainder of the week. The rain brought home the terrible hardships of living in a shack. Many volunteers witnessed mothers impossibly struggling to keep their children dry and protect them. By the end of the week having persevered through the rain the success of handing over 200 houses proved to be an even greater achievement.

Thank you to all our volunteers!

Fact File on Wallacedene

• Wallacedene has a population of 21,000 and is one of the poorest townships in Cape Town. The houses will be built for a community group or “project” known as Masizakhele 3.
   
• Wallacedene, an informal housing settlement was formed between 1985 and 1989 and some of the residents have been on housing waiting lists for fifteen to twenty years.
   
• There is severe over-crowding in the area with anything from seven to fifteen people living in just one shack. Levels of HIV/AIDS and TB are very high, as with other townships.

• It is estimated that one in three suffers from HIV and it is recorded that there is a particularly high incidence of HIV amongst children aged thirteen and upwards.
   
• Secondary School education for local children on average ends at grade 8 (first year in secondary school).
   
• Employment centre's around hawking, selling commodities like maize; fruits and vegetables and even sour milk.

• There are ten churches altogether, thirteen crèches, and four schools (including three primary schools and one high school).