The Niall Mellon Township Trust held a briefing meeting for its 15 Kilkenny volunteers at the Midleton Park Hotel on Saturday October 2. The charity operates a year round housing building programme for impoverished families living in the townships of South Africa.
The briefing meeting prepares volunteers for their blitz, giving an insight into the week ahead including a history of the area, their work schedule, and details on how to have a hard working, safe, and enjoyable week.
Each year the charity organises a building blitz of volunteers who raise funds to travel to South Africa to build homes for families who live in appalling conditions in the townships. 2010 will see 750 volunteers leaving Ireland on November 13 for a week’s hard work with the objective of housing up to 75 families. By the end of this year’s trip the Niall Mellon Township Trust will have built more than 15,000 houses since its inception in 2002.
The beneficiary families do not just receive a roof over their head but a brighter future due to long term health benefits. The Niall Mellon Township Trust is already planning for the 10th blitz in 2011 in a more rural area of South Africa.
Those interested in volunteering can log on www.nmtownshiptrust.com
“Next year will be our 10th blitz and despite all of our own challenges our charity is determined to weather the storm and again exceed expectations by setting ambitious targets for our next major milestone,” Niall Mellon explained. “By 2011 our aim is to have built homes for 100,000 people and engage over 15,000 volunteers.”
In November this year 750 Niall Mellon Township Trust volunteers will depart the Irish shores to work for one week in some of South Africa’s poorest townships, making Ireland proud and making a real difference to the lives of some of South Africa’s poorest people.
The Niall Mellon Township Trust is now appealing for volunteers for the November 2011 one-week building blitz. Sign up now and discover this amazing one week life-changing experience.
