Westmeath volunteers work on building blitz in South Africa

A total of 31 Westmeath residents have travelled to South Africa this month to take part in the eighth house-building blitz organised by the Niall Mellon Township Trust. In total, more than 950 Irish volunteers flew out on November 5 and 6 with the aim of building over 200 houses for impoverished families in Wallacedene, Cape Town. The founder of the Township Trust, Niall Mellon, led the volunteers - who were kitted out in their coloured team t-shirts, hard hats and tools - onto the site in Wallacedene, where they were greeted with open arms by hundreds of delighted residents. Despite the carnival atmosphere, the team members got to work on the week-long project within minutes. In the face of global recession almost 3,500 people have volunteered this year with the Niall Mellon Township Trust. This record breaking figure comprises of 1,500 Irish and 2,000 South African volunteers and brings the total number of people who have volunteered with the charity to 8,500, since Niall Mellon first launched his house building initiative in 2002.   Mr Mellon commented: "The enthusiasm, warmth and high spirits that greeted each and every volunteer made for a fantastic start to the week. The people from the township, from the ages of 3 to 83, created such a welcoming atmosphere that it gave the Irish a fantastic start to the building blitz. Many of the volunteers are now veterans and it is inspirational to see the return of so many hard-working people building a home and a future for the residents here.  "For the people of Wallacedene, some of them having waited 20 years to live in a house with a proper roof, running water, sanitation facilities and electricity, getting a house will be a moment of great joy."