On a trip to a South African Township in 2002, Irish builder Niall Mellon was so shocked by the living conditions of local people, that he decided to act.

That same year, he created the Niall Mellon Township Trust, to help provide homes for the country’s impoverished communities. Groups of volunteers and subcontractors were soon organised and building commenced in the township of Imizamo Yethu. Work continued there to the end of 2005, by which time 450 homes were built.

In 2006, the Trust built a further 191 homes for the community of Netreg, on the outskirts of Capetown, where people had been struggling to get housing for almost two decades. Later that year, in a November building blitz’, 358 Irish volunteers built 70 houses in one week for the suburb of Mfuleni. This added to the 220 houses the charity’s workforce had already built there. The next blitz’ of 2007 took place in Freedom Park, a township approximately 30 miles from Cape Town. In just a single week, 1,350 volunteers completed 203 houses!

2008’s building blitz’ was a historic occasion, when 2,000 Irish volunteers left Ireland for Khayelitsha. It was the largest group of volunteers ever to leave the country and also the largest group of white people ever to build in a South African township.

In one week the volunteers built 253 houses, which provided homes for more than 3,000 people. Also taking part were builders from South Africa, UK, USA, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Lithuania and Australia.
As part of the Trust’s plan to provide infrastructure in support of its housing, a hall was also built for the town’s local secondary school ñ a joint venture with The Archway, a Foundation set up by a South African development company, Garden Cities.

During the building blitz’ of 2008, the Niall Mellon Township Trust Volunteer Club was launched and honoured guest, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, was invited to become its very first member.

The Club will help the Charity build more houses and move more families out of shacks. It will also create a series of local groups to encourage all year round interaction between all members of the Niall Mellon Volunteer family.

Paudie Corbett, from Pallasgreen, in Limerick, was a first-time volunteer in 2008. He raised 5,000 euros for his own fare and materials. ‘Thanks to the vision of Niall Mellon, the encouragement of friends and the generosity of donors, I took part in a great project,’ Paudie said. ‘It was the hardest, yet most rewarding, week’s work I have ever done. I’ll definitely be volunteering again this year.’

If you would like to volunteer, application forms can be downloaded from the website
Contact: Niall Mellon Township Trust,
C/0 Taylors Three Rock, Grange Road,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1494 8200
Website: www​.irishtownship​.com

Image: members of the stone team’
Photo: © Niall Mellon Township Trust