The fundraising is in full swing and the plans are being made as the departure date for the Nelson Mandela Tribute Blitz draws nearer.
The dates have been confirmed for November 15th-22nd, and the location has been fixed as Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, the homeland of the late, great South African president Nelson Mandela. In total, 200 volunteers are signed up to travel.
Lots of research into the area of Mthatha has been carried out. A Mellon Educate representative has visited a variety of schools in the area, while Niall has also been to Mthatha in the last fortnight and has identified projects of interest.
A Mellon Educate team of Eimear Murphy, Jill Lyness and Noeki Gous will travel on a pre-planning trip to Mthatha on August 10th to inspect locations and finalise the proposed projects and the logistics associated with the School Building Blitz.
Volunteers can expect more news following that trip – but in keeping with the Eastern Cape portion of the March Blitz, the rural nature of the Mthatha area means volunteers are likely to spread across at least two locations as they work hard to help build better lives through better education.
Children sing as they welcome Mellon Educate volunteers to Kokstad in the Eastern Cape of South Africa earlier this year
Although the blitz is now full – we have 200 of our wonderful volunteers (veterans and newcomers) working hard to hit their targets and preparing to travel – there is a waiting list is in place for those willing to step up should any cancellations occur.
Due to demand, we have already opened applications for our October/November 2015 Building Blitz. Incredibly, many of you have already started your fundraising for this blitz.