 |
|
 |
| Home | Directory | History | Community | Accommodation | Attractions | Activities | Property |
 Niall Mellon Township Trust While on holiday in South Africa, Niall visited Imizamo Yethu whose name means "through our collective effort" in Xhosa. The Irishman was appalled by the conditions that the vast majority of the township's 14,000 residents were living in. Few families had running water. Outdoor sanitation facilities were very basic and proper sewage services were almost non-existent. Many residents regularly suffered from illness from the effluent that seeped down the side of the mountain. Residents of the township were living in corrugated iron and wooden shacks, held together with plastic and scraps of wood. These shacks are approximately 3m x 3m, usually comprising of one room in which the families live, sleep, cook and eat. The shacks are no bigger than an average garden shed. Many do not have windows to allow light in. These shacks are often home to up to seven people from the same family. In the winter, families face the cold and the rain, while in the summer, the heat inside these shacks is unbearable. Niall Mellon established the Niall Mellon Township Trust to combat these horrendous conditions and to give people back the hope and dignity that drives each of us forward. Since the charity was founded in 2002, 450 houses have been built in Imizamo Yethu. With phase one completed at the end of 2005, the Niall Mellon Township Trust hopes to continue its building programme in the township. However, land is scare and none is available at present to continue with construction. The charity is currently building in seven other townships across the Western Cape. The houses built by the charity in Imizamo Yethu vary in size, depending on the needs of the individual families. In the main, they are 50 square metres, have two to three bedrooms, a fully plumbed bathroom and open plan living room/kitchen. Imizamo Yethu was first established in the early 1990s when 455 families who had been squatting in shacks in Hout Bay were moved to this new location on the side of a mountain overlooking the harbour. There are now some 3,800 families living there and the population is estimated to be some 14,000. Residents are Xhosa speaking and many come from the Eastern Cape. The impact of decent housing is remarkable. Not only does it improve people's standard of living, but also it gives people dignity, and the drive to improve the lives of their families. Decent housing improves people's health by reducing the spread of diseases like TB and other respiratory illnesses; it also improves the potential for recovery from such illness through the provision of a clean water supply. Decent housing is also an important factor in improving the educational potential of children. For four years, the Niall Mellon Township Trust has worked in Imizamo Yethu in partnership with the community. The construction of the houses here was mainly done by residents from the township who were given employment and skills training by the charity. However, once a year from 2003-2005 Irish volunteers joined in these efforts through the annual Building Blitz held by the charity. Some 1200 Irish volunteers built 150 of these houses over three consecutive annual Blitzes. They continue to support the charity through fund-raising and volunteering. Without the combined effort of these volunteers and the township residents, the Niall Mellon Township Trust would not have been able to make the dream of a proper home a reality for 450 families in Imizamo Yethu. For more information go to www.townshiptrust.org.za Written by Suzanne Scollard; edited by Deirdre Grant. June 2007 Click here to leave a comment on the Hout Bay pages & read what others say |
||||||
Excepting where copyright is attributed to others, permission is granted to reproduce this content providing CapeInfo is advised and credited as source. Email CapeInfo | About us | Terms of Use | Privacy policy | Supported by Red Ferret |
