Registration is now open for the 2026 Building Blitz

7th – 14th November 2026

Donate to our Literacy Hat Challenge

ABOUT MELLON EDUCATE

Founded in 2002, Mellon Educate is an international education charity that has transformed the lives of thousands of children and families in South African townships. Over the past 12 years, we’ve improved access to quality education by building schools, launching literacy programmes, and creating jobs in disadvantaged communities.

Our goal is to deliver improved literacy and education to hundreds of thousands of children across Africa, while also providing employment opportunities for school-leavers through training as community-based literacy tutors.

Each year, Mellon Educate organises the renowned Building Blitz volunteer trip to South Africa, where volunteers from Ireland, the UK, the US, and beyond spend one powerful week helping to build safe, modern school infrastructure in underserved areas.

Since 2013, we’ve focused on raising education standards in South African townships. In 2018, we launched the Mellon Educate Literacy Programme to tackle the high number of children unable to read for meaning. The programme helps children stay in education longer, while also creating meaningful employment for young adults.

To date, we have built or renovated 36 schools, providing improved education for over 65,000 children. Our long-term vision is to reach hundreds of thousands of learners across Southern Africa through a network of dedicated literacy hubs.

250000

People Housed

Schools Reached

65000

Learner Lives Improved

LITERACY PROGRAMME IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Mellon Educate Literacy Programme supports children in the early stages of education who struggle with reading and basic literacy skills. Our goal is to help young learners develop the confidence and ability to read for meaning, a critical step in staying in school and achieving long-term success.

Through one-on-one literacy tutoring, children receive targeted support in specially designed Literacy Hubs built and maintained by Mellon Educate. These safe, resource-rich environments, alongside community-based libraries, ensure the programme reaches children where they live and learn, creating lasting educational impact.

Explore the Literacy Programme

VOLUNTEER IN SOUTH AFRICA: BUILDING BLITZ

Join Mellon Educate’s Building Blitz for an unforgettable week of volunteering in South Africa. Work hands-on to build and improve schools, supporting education and making a direct impact on the lives of children in underserved communities.

This is a powerful, real-world experience giving you the opportunity to make a meaningful difference while working as part of a team on projects that create lasting change.

Apply for the Building Blitz 2026

Volunteering for Mellon Educate is like a bug that never leaves you. The last three years I have left South Africa thinking that it was my last trip, but by the next January I can’t wait to sign up again! For me, the defining facts are the sense of pride that never leaves you and the friendships that will last a lifetime. It’s an experience you will never forget.
— Brad Wood

Africa gets into your blood and calls you back year after year. Little did I think that when I signed up that it would become such a huge part of my life and that it would be on a building site in South Africa that I would meet my husband!
— Tracy Weldon

I became involved after seeing Niall on the Late Late Show. I can honestly say that it has changed my life. I have been exposed to the reality of poverty up close, and this has stopped me taking anything for granted and spoiling my children too much.
— Sandy Dunne

BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES

Take a look at the 2025 Mellon Educate Building Blitz, where our team of international volunteers worked alongside local teams to support ACJ Phakade Primary School and Simanyene High School in Lwandle.

NEW STUDENT PROGRAMME ABROAD

A student programme abroad offers a unique opportunity to step outside the classroom, develop real-world skills, and experience life from a completely new perspective. Mellon Educate’s one-week programme in South Africa gives students the chance to gain hands-on experience, support education initiatives, and take part in a truly life-changing journey.

Our student volunteer programme combines personal development with meaningful impact. Students work on education and community projects, build confidence, and return home with a broader global outlook, all while making a real difference where it’s needed most.

Learn More About the Student Programme