Volunteer build, 21 October, Tembisa

Captions from left to right: the painting team, Pastor Alan and Xana in green t-shirts with their team and the other block laying team.

Double blessing for residents of Tembisa

Despite their busy schedule, 15 volunteers from the US-based Joel Osteen Ministries set aside a morning to help build houses in Tembisa, Gauteng on 21 October. The group was introduced to the project by Pastor Alan and Xana McCauley from Rhema Hands of Compassion. They along with five HOC staff also participated in the build.

As the day was short, the three teams worked hard and remained focussed on the task at hand. Two of the teams were mixing dagha and laying bricks, while the third team was painting the house to be handed over at the end of the day.

After lunch and a quick Q&A session on the housing situation and process in South Africa, the JO group prayed for the Rhema group and their continuing partnership and commitment to the housing project in general.

Elias Faba was the beneficiary that received his house at the end of the build, which he received in memory of his late wife, who passed away last month. He told Pastor Alan that this would have mean't so much for her to have lived long enough to see this special day. Elias and his family of five children have lived in a shack for 19 years. His new house will be full with all five children and his grandchildren living there. He is happy to move into his new house as he believes it will change his life and that his family will live a better life.

Several of the JO volunteers expressed that this had been a 'life changing experience'. A life changing experience for Elias as well!

"Thank you. It was an honor and pleasure to help build the homes. My life will never be the same. We will keep in touch. God bless you all and the work you are doing there" - Daidra Greathouse.

Caption: Elias Faba, the beneficiary, standing with two of his sons.

Southern Sun Group Vol Build, Cape Town 2009

Photos: the Southern Sun Group volunteers took their jobs seriously!

SSG enjoy their day 'out of the office'

It was definitely not just 'another day at the office' for the group of volunteers that participated in the final Cape Town volunteer build for the year. The 50 staff from the Southern Sun Group of hotels are used to working in plush surroundings in four star hotels, not mixing dagha and laying blocks to build walls on houses in a township.

The group did fantastically well despite a few setbacks, including dicey weather. There were seven teams, all involved in building tasks. There were some 2 stripers, but most were new faces to the programme. But everyone put their nose to the grindstone and achieved a great deal in a short time.

At the end of the day, the group celebrated with Cynthia Mbilane and one of her children as she received the key to her new home. Cynthia has three children and lost her husband last year. The family have always lived in a shack. So receiving this early Christmas gift was a wonderful experience!

Congratulations to Thandi's team for winning the day's competition.

Best wishes

Mandy and NMTT Team and MHI staff

Rhema Build, Tembisa, 10 October 2009

Captions: Rhema volunteers hard at work.

Volunteers with passion give back

It was a relief to discover that even the Rhema volunteers feel the 'end of year fatigue' syndrome! Their usual energetic and noisy arrival on site was replaced by a quiet, ordered arrival. But this does not mean that the volunteers didn't display their usual enthusiasm and passion to contribute to our project and the beneficiaries in Tembisa.

For this build, 11 of the volunteers sported four 'stripes' of honour. This means that they have volunteered on all four builds with which Rhema has partnered the charity. Congratulations to these loyal volunteers. But we must also congratulate all the three and two stripes, as well as the 'no strippers'.

The Rhema co-ordinators managed to source 115 volunteers for this final build for 2009, which is a big boost to achieving the charity's goal of recruiting 2000 SA volunteers this year. The total of Rhema volunteers this year has numbered 300.

The group was divided into 15 teams and 11 worked on block laying, 4 on painting. One of the teams was painting the handover house alongside Tembisa Councillor, Greg Malebo. The beneficiary, Paulina, was joined by some of her daughters, granddaughters and her great granddaughters. They were very excited at the prospect of seeing Paulina take possession of her new home.

With all the volunteers crowded into her backyard, Paulina was a little overwhelmed and quietly thanked them for their assistance.

Many thanks to Pastor Xana and Alan, as well as Michael Weldon from Rhema for their continued support and participation.

Mandy and the Team

Volunteer House Build, 8 October 2009 Overview

True Spirit of Volunteerism in Tembisa

Captions from left to right: Pauline Malatji with Councillor Malebo and a friend outside her mother's new home, Khuthaza volunteers, Blondie Njotini and Bonolo Senokwane sitting in the shade, Pauline with some of the volunteers after the house handover.

The blazing sun and heat in Tembisa on Thursday, 8 October, did not deter the spirit of volunteerism and excitement among the groups that arrived for the volunteer build. There were 75 participants in total: 50 from Khuthaza (formerly known as Women in Construction), 10 from Intaprop, 14 from Metropolitan Health Group and one individual.

Armed with their tools and supplies, the group was divided into 10 teams, eight of which were block-laying and the other two were painting. The team that painted the handover house was in very high spirits and could be heard singing in celebration of their joy in being able to hand 'their' house over to the beneficiary at the end of the day.

Despite the heat and hard work, the volunteers never complained and put their heart and souls into the day.

At the end of the day the group gathered outside the handover house and more joyous singing and ululating was heard. The beneficiary, Magdaleen Malatji, was not present at the handover as she is in Limpopo, but her daughter Pauline, accepted the key on her behalf from Councillor Greg Malebo. Magdaleen and her family have lived in a shack for the past 15 years. So it was a very special occasion for Pauline as she cut the ceremonial ribbon on the front door and invited the volunteers to visit her mother's house. She said her mother would move into the house this weekend.

When asked on her beneficiary profile if she thought her new home would improve her life, Magdaleen responded: "Yes, the struggle is over".

We would like to thank the volunteers for their support and participation in the build yesterday. Their contribution will be felt within the community of Tembisa for many years to come.

Mandy, Morne and the MHI Staff

Volunteer House Build, 8 October 2009

Captions from left to right: the Intaprop team, one of the Metropolitan Health Group teams, the house handover team of Khuthaza.

We have always thought that giving was about money, but giving time and our hands proved to be as equally satisfying. We learned brick laying, something we thought we could never do. Metropolitan Health Group, Team 2.
We thank and appreciate Mellon for having given us the opportunity to do the final touches on the house to be handed over today. The excitement was overwhelming, the spirit within that house was glorious and we could not stop singing celebration songs. We’ve learned a lot and we saw the excitement that goes through the family. It’s all but satisfying to the soul. Thank you from the house hand over team – Stunky, Thabile, Zodwa, Yvonne, Mirriam and Priscilla from Khutaza.

I’ve always wanted to be part of building a house, so for my 45th birthday present I asked my partner to support me to free up the time from our busy lives so I cold volunteer for a day or a weekend.
I’ve just had a wonderfully satisfying day of hard physical labour, slowly become more adept at handling a trowel and feel humbled at the thought that some people do this every day of their lives. How inspiring to be part of turning 40m2 of bare earth into decent housing for a family who told me they’ve been in their shack since 1994. I’ll most definitely be back! Lee Randall, Occupational Therapist..

Do it Day Build, 19 September 2009, Wallacedene

Bravo to all the civic minded volunteers who joined the Do it Day build on 19 September and put their time and energy to good use.

"Do It Day" is an annual GreaterGood South Africa volunteering day when thousands of South Africans share their time, skills and energy with good causes across the country. The Niall Mellon Township Trust was one of the 200 projects involved in this.

We had an amazing turnout of 240 volunteers on a gloriously sunny and warm day in Wallacedene, Cape Town. This is the biggest number of volunteers to participate in a single volunteer build since the launch of the programme in May 2007. We are proud to include in this figure several staff members from the charity who work behind the scenes and don't often get to experience the project 'in action'.

The group worked on 26 different houses, mixing dagha and laying blocks for the external walls. As there was such a fantastic spirit and enthusiasm on site, a total of 14 houses' walls were built to roof height. This means 14 families can look forward to receiving their solid brick house that much sooner due to the volunteers' hard work and generosity.

Several parents brought their children along to share in the act of giving back to the community, and their job was to varnish door and window frames.

It is always inspiring to see individuals and groups giving of themselves and contributing to the betterment of others and our future. So thank you and well done!

Mandy, Noeki, Morne and all the Mellon Housing Staff

Old Mutual, Do it Day build, 18 September 2009

Congratulations to the staff from Old Mutual who participated in this year's Do it Day build in Wallacedene. Nearly 40 volunteers arrived for the build, despite heavy gray clouds and threats of rain. The group was divided into several teams and tasked with building internal walls.

Not only did the volunteers give of their time and energy, but they also received hands on skills training on how to lay blocks!

We look forward to welcoming more Old Mutual volunteers next year.

UCT Construction Students, 7-11 Sept. 2009

As part of their annual practical, the Department of Construction Economics and Management, have sent their 1st year students on a week's build with Mellon Housing Initiative for the past four years. This year 80 students signed on and experienced life 'on site'.

They were originally scheduled to work in Wallacedene, but due to the heavy rainfalls, they were moved to Project 2 in Mbekweni, Paarl. They were exposed to: laying foundations, painting and block laying during the week.

For the first time, the students have undertaken to fundraise and donate the money to the charity.

We wish the students all the best for the remainder of their 1st year.

Volunteer build, 10 September, Paarl

Photos from left to right: volunteers getting upskilled on site. Members of the Nicro team form a conveyor belt to get blocks inside the house. Tom Fitzgerald handing the key to Zandre, the beneficiary, along with Gordon Reid who participated in his sixth build.

It was a small, but intimate group of volunteers that travelled to Paarl on 10 September to participate in a house build. The group consisted of several staff from Santam and Nicro as well as a few individuals wanting to experience the hands-on approach of the project.

One of the volunteers commented that it was great to get away from the daily routine and forget one's everyday stresses, and one of the team leaders said of his all women team that they were fantastic and that he'd never seen such proactive team work.

At the end of the day, the group witnessed the handing over of a house to a beneficiary. Zandre has lived in a shack for almost 30 years and was very happy to receive the keys to her own home. She has four children, but only three will be living with her. Unfortunately they were not present at the handover.

We wish Zandre and her family all the best in their beautiful new home.

Rhema Build, Tembisa, 29 August

Left to right: Rhema volunteers showing off their two and three stripes. Volunteers hard at work. Tholape and Tom standing proudly outside their front door.

It was a pleasure to welcome Rhema Ministries onto site in Tembisa for their third house build on Saturday, 29 August, and great to see so many volunteers with two and three stripes on their t-shirts (depicting the number of builds they have attended). The no stripers will get another to earn their stripes in October.

The teams were very focused on the tasks at hand, which included painting and block-laying. But this commitment did not preclude fun and banter among the volunteers, which just added to the enjoyment of the day.

Each team had a team leader from the permanent construction staff, so skills transfer was a strong element of the day with an 'expert' doing the transferring.

At the end of the day, the group joined the one painting team at their house to witness the beneficiary and his wife receive their house. Standing in from of their freshly painted and cleaned house, Tom and Tholape, were thrilled to share the joy of receiving the key to their own home with fellow Christians. Much praise and thanks were given as Pastor Alan and Xana McCauley blessed the house and family.

Tom had this to say: "My new house can change my life. I am very happy. Thanks 100 times."

We look forward to welcoming the Rhema group back in October, and thank them for their ongoing support.

Mandy, Noeki, Morne and the Mellon Housing Initiative on site staff.

Volunteer House Build, 27 August 2009 Overview

Photos (top left to bottom right)

The winning PPC Team: Thomas' team were awarded for the best productivity on site. The other winning team: Hilton's PPC team won for the best team spirit. Maida Masiphela and her family outside their new home.

One of the King Pie teams hard at work. The team is joined by the subcontractors who build throughout the year. The second King Pie team showing their team spirit.

Congratulations to PPC and King Pie for their participation in the house build in Tembisa. There was a great spirit among the groups and among the teams. There was also a great spirit of competition with certain PPC team members visiting other groups to 'check' how they were faring.

There were 12 construction teams and three painting teams, and all took their tasks seriously. Some even expressed a new found respect for labourers who do this hard kind of physical work every day.

At the end of the day there were two winning teams: Thomas' team for achieving the best level of productivity and building to roof level in one day. Hilton's team won for having the greatest team spirit. This was also the team that painted the house that was handed over to Maida Masiphela. She stood with her son Petrus and two grandchildren beaming with joy at receiving her first solid home. She has lived in a shack on the same plot for 13 years, so moving into this house is a dream come true.

She said: "I am happy for this house. I will no longer worry about the cold, wet weather and dust."

The group was given a taste of what challenge dust can be in Tembisa. Just as Maida and Petrus welcomed the volunteers into their new home, a vicious sandstorm arrived causing bodies to scatter and head for the busses as quickly as possible. But if the volunteers survived a day of hard work, they certainly survived the howling wind and dust that bade them farewell yesterday.

You were a great group and a wonderful bunch of individuals that have made a big difference in making the future a better place in SA.

Mandy, Noeki, Morne and the staff of Mellon Housing Initiative (Gauteng)

King Pie Volunteer Build, Tembisa, 27 August 2009

Volunteers from King Pie mixing dagha

I made a difference. Petunia Mokwena, King Pie

I have a new found respect for builders. Maylene May, King Pie

This experience has shown me how the majority of SA lives and has allowed me the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of life. Lisa Forgan, King Pie

I was privileged and may they be blessed with lots of bricks. Anonymous, King PIe

The day was emotionally and physically fulfilling - it feels good to have made a difference in someone's life. Tshepo Mokone, King Pie

The King Pie team

The day has been extremely rewarding - not only did we get to contribute to the housing crisis in our country but we got to interact with the warm and friendly local community. Jeanne Geldenhuys, King Pie

I have learnt the difference between dagga and dagha! Nobunto, King Pie

We don't only make a meal - we also make a dream! Marius Bergh, King Pie

PPC Volunteer Build, Tembisa, 27 August 2009

It was a fantastic experience, learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Cindy Crook, PPC Germiston

It was quite good to go out there and do something for the community and the appreciation from some members of the community was touching. Bheki Luphahla, PPC Germiston

FirstRand Volunteer Build, Gauteng, 30 July BB

Two of the FNB volunteers take a refreshment break.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and found the whole day a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I was designated a build and it was a motivating experience to see a house being erected. The team work of the group that I was allocated to were also awesome and as a manager I managed to spend quality time to get to know some of my staff personally on a different level.
Harry Petrakis, FNB Branch Banking

FirstRand Volunteer Build, Gauteng, 30 July BB

FirstRand Volunteer Build, Gauteng, 30 July

Joyce Maripha opening the door to her new house.
I just want to thank the parties responsible for me being at the build. I really loved being a part of the initiative. I might be renting a flat at the moment but when I go home I go to a shack. My sister lives in a shack and I know what the lady with the house was speaking of when she mentioned the seasons.
My friends always laugh and think I'm joking when I say I'm working as hard as I do to buy myself a house not a car but they don't understand. No one should be living in a shack if they can help it. To know that I helped someone who I know must be happy to have this house really makes me happy. One of the reasons I became a volunteer in the first place was to make a difference in someone else's life besides my own, no matter how small. I believed we achieved that.
Shivaan Bhikum, Momentum, 30 July 2009

FirstRand Build, 30 July 2009, Overview

Volunteers from different groups arrive on site, from left to right: Momentum, Wesbank, FirstRand.

The arrival of the FirstRand Group on site in Tembisa for their CSI volunteer day was nothing short of rainbowic! There was lime green, bright red, baby yellow, turquoise, navy blue and white t-shirts each representing the different brands of the group. These divisions included: Outsurance, Momentum, Rand Merchant Bank, RMB Private Bank, First National Bank, FirstRand and WesbankFirst.

Despite these obvious differences, everyone was in high spirits and there was a sense that they all belonged to the same organisation and believed in the same core philosophies of volunteerism and philanthrophy.

More division brands, from left to right: Outsurance, RMB and First National Bank.

Although the day started late due to a delayed bus, the groups was divided into their teams and set to work, eager and full of determination.

As the day passed, the volunteers realised that this experience was about more than building houses, it was about breaking down perceptions, establishing relationships and giving hope to an impoverished community.

Niall Mellon, the founder and chairman of the charity, made an unexpected visit to the group at lunch time and thanked them for their invaluable contribution. FNB's CEO, Michael Jordaan, also arrived to thank the group and commend Niall on his vision as a foreigner changing the lives of ordinary South Africans.

Left: Niall Mellon speaking to the group of volunteers.

Right: Michael Jordaan thanking the volunteers for their commitment.

The Niall Mellon Township Trust would like to thank the FirstRand Group for supporting the charity, and especially to Desiree Storey and her CSI Co-ordinators for their work behind the scenes.