2econd World

Niall Mellon Township Trust
There are currently 2.4 million families living in shacks or informal settlements across South Africa. The South African government has set itself the target of eradicating all shacks by 2014. Our charity aims to do whatever it can to help achieve this target.
In 2002, Irish property developer Niall Mellon visited the Imizamo Yethu Township in Cape Town, South Africa. He was so moved by the horrendous living conditions he saw there, that he set up “The Niall Mellon Township Trust”, in order to help alleviate the plight of its residents.
In a pioneering venture, Niall met with community leaders and undertook the extraordinary task of replacing 450 corrugated iron shacks with proper brick houses.
In 2003, he organised 150 volunteers from overseas each raising €3500, to travel 6000 miles to Imizamo Yethu, to build 25 houses in 9 days.
So successful was this Building Blitz, that, in 2004, he managed to persuade 350 more volunteers to raise €4000 each and build 50 houses in one week.
2005 saw an even more adventurous Niall bring 700 volunteers to South Africa to build 106 houses over a two-week period.
Through a combination of volunteers and local labour who worked year round on the project, we have now met our original target of completing 450 blockhouses in the township of Imizamo Yethu.
Last November, 350 Irish men and women went out to a new township, Mfuleni ,and built 70 houses in one week.
Building by local staff in South Africa continues all year round and is an important part of our work. We help to train unskilled workers and also provide valuable jobs in areas where unemployment is more than 40%. Our South African staff have now completed a further 220 houses in Mfuleni.
In the township of Netreg, situated on the Cape Flats, our South African staff and volunteers have built 191 new houses over the last year. Construction at Netreg began in January 2006 with builders from our first township, Imizamo Yethu, transferring their skills to builders from the local community. The project is a collaboration between the Niall Mellon Township Trust and the Netreg community, facilitated by Development Action Group (DAG).
We have set ourselves ambitious targets for 2007. We aim to build at least 2000 houses by the end of this year.
In order to achieve this, we need your help. We are looking for South Africans volunteers to support our building programme. Last year, over 350 South African volunteers demonstrated their support by volunteering with us on our housing projects. This year, we want at least one thousand volunteers from this country to fund-raise and build homes with us.
For further information please go to:
Website: www.townshiptrust.org.za
Email: Mandy Wallace mwallace@nmtt.co.za

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