The Desmond Tutu Community Build 2007

Building hope in Mfuleni

Earlier this year 65 volunteers from the UK joined volunteers from USA to take up the challenge of building 12 houses in just one week!

The event took place in Mfuleni, a township around 40km east of Cape Town in South Africa. Mfuleni is a relatively new, racially mixed township as a result of people moving here in the late 1990's following floods and fires in different townships across the Western Cape. The majority of people in Mfuleni live in house structures (shacks) made of tin as can be seen in the first photo below. Most of the 6,000 houses do not have any formal water supply, electricity or toilets. The level of poverty here produces many social problems including unemployment, child neglect and abandonment.

The Desmond Tutu Community Build 2007 was a programme jointly run by Habitat for Humanity in Great Britain, America and South Africa. On arrival at the building site volunteers were split into teams of ten and introduced to the families they would be helping to build their new safe, decent Habitat houses. The level of teamwork was incredible and the hardwork of everyone involved meant 12 houses were completed within the week long build.

It wasn't all hard work though! Volunteers also got the opportunity to enjoy the sites of Cape Town including a visit to Table Mountain.


Take a look at the photos below to see how the teams got on!

Photos from the Desmond Tutu Community Build 2007

An overcrowded shack in Mfuleni	Children from Mfuleni who now have a brighter future thanks to the Desmond Tutu Community Build	Volunteers mixing cement
A well deserved teabreak!	The build was all about teamwork	Working on the Mabohlo house
Making new friends	A team briefing session at the Ntola house	Fun was had by all!
The completed Mbovane house	The completed Mhlangala house	The completed Ntontela house
The completed Yibe house	The emotion of this new homeowner was overwhelming after her dedication ceremony	Thanks to all the hard work of the volunteers these children can now face a future free of poverty housing!