Khayelitsha was the location of our biggest ever blitz in 2008 where some 2,000 volunteers mucked in to build hundreds of houses in Cape Town’s largest township, a sprawling mass of shanty shacks situated just a stone throw from the wealthy suburbs home to South Africa’s rich and famous. This November 2016, we return to work on two sites in Khayelitsha, this time under the banner of Mellon Educate.

As with recent building blitzes, our attention turns to education as we descend on Ummangaliso and Kuyasa schools. Kuyasa Primary school has 1500 pupils and we will be building 6 classrooms, a toilet block and a kitchen/canteen area. Ummangaliso Primary School has 1200 pupils and will be constructing 7 classrooms, as well as improving the sports facilities. The schools are 6 km apart. 70% of the attending children live in shacks. What’s more, 30-45% of pupils are orphans. The volunteer work this November will improve these children’s prospects no end. Only a volunteer knows the feeling and we look forward to sharing this special week in all our lives with familiar and new faces from across the world. Roll on the 5th of November 2016…