IRISH VOLUNTEERS overseas with the Niall Mellon Township Trust carried out a financial bailout of their own this week when they completed 140 low-cost houses for poor people in a South African township.
Despite temperatures of more than 30 degrees during the week, the 750 mainly Irish volunteers managed to overcome the heat and meet their building goal.
Volunteers started to hand over the keys of dozens of two-bedroom houses yesterday to some ecstatic South Africans who had been forced to live in shacks in the Wallacedene township.
Also in attendance to watch the emotional scenes was actor Anna Friel, who took time out from filming a new movie.
Gabe McGloin from Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, who works in client services in Dublin, said there was “very little talk” about Ireland’s economic woes among volunteers.
“A taxi driver put things into perspective over here the other night for me. He said this is about more than putting people into houses. It’s a life-changer.
“Without a proper address you can’t open a bank account or claim social benefits,” said Mr McGloin, who is on his third building blitz.
Charity founder Niall Mellon said: “When people see the extent of the poverty here, they are much better able to deal with what is happening back home.”