Witsand - 2011
On the 18th November 2011, 500 South Africans living in the township of Witsand were utterly changed. Children, parents and grandparents left behind damp unsanitary conditions and the constant threat of shack fires to begin a new life free of fear and brimming with possibility thanks to the Irish volunteers who worked on the Niall Mellon Township Trust Building Blitz. Niall Mellon said “This is a superb end to the week; thanks to the extraordinary spirit of everyone who came on the building blitz we have now housed another 500 people into quality housing. The volunteers have been working flat out to ensure no family was left disappointed and once again I am truly humbled by the Irish spirit and the support of their family and friends back home who helped fundraise with them.” Learn More
Wallacedene - 2010
750 volunteers, 140 houses, x1 week. 11 volunteer teams handed over 140 new homes to the people of the township of Wallacedene. The volunteers cheered with delight as they captured the moment that would change these people’s lives forever. Niall Mellon said “140 houses completed, 800 South Africans living in homes by the end of this week who had nothing at the start; as one local lady said to me ‘every time I put a key in my door I’ll be thinking about the Irish’, I cannot put into words my gratitude to all who have come and to those at home who have given so much this could not have happened without you.” Learn More
Wallacedene - 2009
November 2009 will be remembered by the 950 volunteers for the rain. The Trust worked in the township of Wallacedene, in Cape Town. The volunteers toiled in the rain, but their determination to successfully complete their mission at the end of the Building Blitz week, meant that 200 houses were handed over to families together with a new School Hall and football pitch to the community of Wallacedene.
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Mbekweni - 2009
March 2009 was a unique Blitz, it was the first time we had a female majority, with 65% of the 500 Volunteers being women! The charity worked in the township of Mbekweni, in Paarl, which means Pearl in English. Paarl is famous for its wine making, but also as it is where former South African president, Nelson Mandela took his first steps on his Long Walk to Freedom. We completed 78 houses during this week.
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Khayelitsha - 2008
Khayelitsha was the biggest ever Building Blitz to date. To match the year, 2,008 volunteers headed out to South Africa. This was the largest volunteering mission by any Irish charity to date! 253 houses were completed by the end of the week and a school hall was also handed over.
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Freedom Park - 2007
1,380 Volunteers head straight to work after only three hours sleep following delays caused by the closure of Cape Town International Airport. This did not dampen the spirits and the commitment of the volunteers. They marched to Freedom Park to start work on the 203 houses that were completed by the end of the week.
Mfuleni - 2006
356 Volunteers went to Mfuleni in Cape Town. Over a period of 1 week, 70 houses were built.
Imizamo Yethu - 2005
Over a two week period, 700 Volunteers both Irish and South African built a further 106 houses in the Imizamo Yethu township.
Imizamo Yethu - 2004
350 Volunteers headed back to Imizamo Yethu and built a further 50 houses.
Imizamo Yethu - 2003
153 volunteers arrived at the Imizamo Yethu Township, Cape Town and completed their target of 25 houses in one week, which cemented the promise that Niall Mellon had made to the local South African workers - if they built 150 houses with him, within the first year, he would get 150 Irish volunteers to help them build houses for a week. This was the start of what now continues to be an extremely successful week long building blitz by volunteers each year.