Ian & Cillian Meldons Daily Diary

Not for us finishing school in Switzerland, or a weeks golfing in sunny Portugal with a bunch of greying 50 somethings. We thought it would be far nobler to travel to the tip of South Africa and dispense largesse to the poor and needy. Just how wrong can one be? We came home with a lot more than that which we had gone out. During a busy, exciting tiring week we managed to build 50 houses. Thanks to YOUR generosity we were privileged to participate in this unique initiative. Here follows a synopsis of the week’s activities, (well most of the weeks activities).

Friday 15th Oct. Dublin Airport. 12:30pm. 350 assorted builders, bankers, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, men, women and grannies, from every county in Ireland arrived and checked in. There was an air of expectant excitement that you could almost photograph. There followed a rather tedious 12 hour flight to Capetown where we landed at 6:15 am Saturday morning. The meticulous planning that had obviously gone into the preparation of this almost military operation now became evident. We cleared customs and boarded the 6 coaches that awaited us. Niall Mellon visited each bus before it left the airport and introduced himself. We arrived at our hotel to find breakfast awaiting us in the underground car park, which had been especially converted to a dining room for the duration of our stay. By magic our luggage found its way to our respective rooms. No check-in was required. After a short introductory speech, the group was divided into teams, dispersed and met again 2 hours later to board the same coaches and head of to work.

The drive from Capetown to Hout Bay takes about 25 mins. The views are stunning, The houses beautiful, sort of Dublin 4ish. Turning left at Hout Bay is like going from dream to nightmare. For those of us on our first visit it was a very real shock. Nothing could prepare one for the squalor, the filth, and the appalling living conditions that are the chaotic township of Imiazamo Yethu. Up to 18 months ago when this initiative was started…

15,000 PEOPLE LIVED IN HUTS MEASURING APPROX 9’X9’ ON 50 ACRES. THE HUTS ARE MADE OF SCRAP TIMBER OR CORRUGATED IRON SHEETS. THEY ARE WITHOUT SANITATION OR RUNNING WATER.

In the summer time the roofs of these shacks are too hot to touch, the temperature of the corrugated iron sheeting reaching 90 degrees. In winter they are freezing. The storms frequently flatten them. Fires are not uncommon and cause untold damage, usually destroying 60 or 70 shacks at a time with people often dismantling their homes in an effort to stop the infernos from spreading. To date over 250 houses have been put in, roads laid out, public lighting installed, fresh water laid on. Proper title has been secured for all the houses, which are built to South African Housing Authority specification. Each house is concrete block built on slab foundation. Roofs are tiled, outside walls rendered and painted. The inside comprises of two or three bedrooms, bathroom with bath or shower. Living room/kitchen. Each new house is sold for 5,000 euros with an interest free mortgage. The repayments are approximately 30 euros a month. This is beyond the resources of many of the people. However for each new house that is bought and occupied acts as an incentive to others. Your contribution and our efforts have allowed the project to get off the ground. All the mortgage repayments go back into a housing fund to help finance the next phase until eventually the scheme becomes self financing.

We received a wonderful warm welcome from these people whose spirit and good humour is in sharp contrast to the deprivation in which they live. Hundreds of beautiful smiling children milled around, wanting to help, looking for tee shirts, money and anything else they thought we might be willing to give. As the first day settled down we got stuck into the work quickly establishing something approaching a rhythm. The foreman got to know who was who and on these respective teams and in a surprisingly short time the houses grew from the foundation slabs that had been laid the week before. Real builders adopted greenhorns and schooled us in the finer arts of mixing mortar, laying out blocks, erecting scaffolds and all the myriad tasks that make for a reasonably efficient site operation. The actual building sites were dotted throughout the township making the business of locating the right materials in the right place at the time an absolute nightmare. The whole task was done with infectious good humour, never even a hint of exasperation. At 5:30 Saturday evening we were happy to trudge wearily buswards, head back to our hotel and catch some well earned sleep. (The last bit is an absolute lie, but I cannot tell you what really happened in the evening.)

Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs…… Up at 6:51am breakfast in the carpark and on to the coaches at 7:30 and so to work. As walls grew the different disciplines emerged. Roofers appeared, trusses were hauled into place, timbers nailed down and chain gangs formed to load, unload and carry up to 900 tiles into position and before you could say Liam Lalor red roofs were dotting the skyline. By Wednesday I found myself attending a plumbing course. On Thursday I was asked to give the course. Promotion is rapid in these parts. Cillian fell in with some of Connougt’s finest and honed his skills in all manner of crafts only some of which were building related during the course of the day The Water Babes toured the sites delivering hundreds of bottles of water to ensure that no one suffered dehydration. As the week progressed those people whose houses we were building appeared regularly to inspect and sometimes suggested changes. This is surely every builder’s nightmare, but each was treated with absolute respect and facilitated wherever possible. Wednesday the rain came. It rushed down the hard packed dirt streets in a raging torrent. It washed great slabs of plaster, put on only a short time before, off walls of houses. It poured out of the heavens, we thought we had died and gone to Ireland. Dozens of volunteers had to be sent home (to the hotel). Nobody lost heart. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and the plasterers came out. The walls were redone. No one complained. By Thursday evening we were a bit behind because of the weather. It has been envisaged that we would finish up on Thursday evening to allow people a little time for sightseeing, shopping etc. but most turned up for work on the Friday to see the job through after the weather related delays from earlier in the week.

AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE TOWNSHIP IS 34 YEARS

On Thursday night Niall hosted a dinner for us with guests from the S.A housing agency and special guest Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He addressed the assembled and what a treat that was. He was effusive in his praise of our work. He described how we had shown South Africa and the world what could be done. He spoke of deep affection for Ireland. He reminded us of those Dunnes Stores workers who took a stand against apartheid all those years ago. He spoke of a nation emerging from the darkness, of hope and fears. He spoke of size of the homelessness problem; the huge number of townships and despite the best will in the world how it is not possible for the government to solve this problem quickly. He told us that we had given so many people hope where they had none before. It was a humbling experience to listen to all this. Be as proud as we are we could not of achieved what we did without your generous help and support.

25% OF THE POPULATION SUFFERS FROM AIDS

We took some time out to visit the local primary school. A collection amongst the assembled leaving the buses one morning raised some 32,000 Rand, (4,000 Euro) which we used to buy essential equipment for the school. During our visits we were treated to impromptu concerts in every classroom. It was heartening to see the care and attention which the children receive and the enthusiasm with which they respond. Many families cannot afford to send more then one or two children to school. Those that do attend are turned out spotlessly every morning.

IT COSTS APPROXIMATLY 15 EURO A YEAR TO SEND A CHILD TO PRIMARY SCHOOL.

Some of the gems of the week;

“For years the white man has come to this country and taken, this is the first time I have ever seen him give back,”

A taxi driver’s emotional response when he was told what was going on.

“If it’s anything to do with the house I will sort it out for you, if it’s martial disharmony, well you will have to go down to the office for that.”

Tommy the bricklayer to the local woman whose house they were building.

“I was overwhelmed by the sight of all these Irishmen working like NiNiNiNi….Trojans!”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the course of his address to us.

“Take a good look at that lads there were only two ever made and the second was a mistake”

In reference to a man daring to sport a Carlow jersey as he boarded the bus 7:30am.

“Give that one a wide berth. It’s obvious she has done away with three husbands and is looking for the fourth”

Said in a loud whisper of a volunteer sporting a splendid triple barrelled name.

“It was the best week of my life.”

Cillian on his return to a pal. (He does not know I put this in.)

It remains to say again a huge thank you from us and from the people of the township. We will be returning next year. Which will be the last year of the building project. We sincerely hope that you will be willing and able to lend your support for that final push next November.