Karen McArdle Daily Diary

We left Dublin on Saturday at 3.30pm and didn't arrive in Capetown until 4.30am. We had just enough time to check in to our accomodation and unpack our suitcases. We then packed our workbags and headed downstairs for an early breakfast meeting. We were split up into 5 teams named : The Chieftains, The Saw Doctors, The Merry Ploughboys, The Wolfe Tones and the Hot House Flowers. We were then packed into a bus and went straight to Imizamo Yethu. We unloaded the buses to the chants of "Conas a ta tu?" from the locals who were delighted to see the Irish Builders. Even with all the positive energy around us and our willingness to work, nothing prepared us for the level of poverty we were about to witness first hand in the coming week.

These people have nothing. They are living in the worst level of poverty in galvanised shacks with no running water. There are approx 2,800 shacks in Imizamo Yethu on a site of approx 50 acres with a population of 40,000. HIV statistics are not fully quantified however we would assume that the level of HIV on this site is approx 25 - 30% of the entire population.

My team were The Wolfe Tones which consisted of 70 people whose job was to build 9 houses. We were then subdivided up into 11 per team to build a house each. Number 17 was our house and the foundation was already in. By 5pm that evening we had it up to roof level. Next morning it was 5am call for a 6am breakfast before heading off. This was our daily ritual over the coming week By wedensday we were saddened by the rain especially as most houses wereready for plastering and painting and as fast as we were putting up the plaster the rain was washing it off. By the afternoon we had to down tools.

Dave Mullen then took our team to the local school "Oranjekloof" which brough a tear to all our eyes when we saw these children who have nothing spotlessly clean and delighted to be in school to have the oppportunity to learn. Thursady came and sheer hard work and determination had the 50 houses up allthough not all were painted completely ,due to the rain. 350 people in the Township now had a house for the very first time!

It was then time to say goodbye to our local friends. One was a hairdresser to whom i gave a copy of Irish Hairdresser magazine! The salon "Andisa Hair Salon" was set up in a 40ft. container which was decked out well as could be expected.(To obtain this " business premises" people submit a business plan to the shipyard owners in the waterfront area and ask them to donate a container.) The it was off to Arabella Sheraton where Naill Mellon had a surprise guest there to thank us for the work we had done... none other than Bishop Desmond Tutu! Both Niall and Desmonds speech left a resounding effect on everyone as we toasted a weeks work well done.