House build project in South Africa

challenge overview: Unemployment in the local region is 80%. People have lack of access to toilets, clean water and electricity with communities living in mud and wattle homes in poor state of repair. By taking responsible tourism to developing countries, your participation can help break cycle of poverty and hopelessness.

South Africa's historical policies meant that certain communities had no right to own property. With the changing political scene, subsidies and grants were made available and all citizens now have the opportunity to own title to land. The South African government initiated the ‘Land Reform Programme’, which is being implemented in three different ways, redistribution, restitution and tenure, to eliminate poverty by providing a resource to enable the poor, the landless and aspirant farmers to improve their quality of life.

Mziki is situated near Ixopo (pronounced Icopo) in Southern KwaZulu-Natal midway between the Drakensburg mountain range and the Indian Ocean. Being an agricultural community, the average income per family is low. The nature of the community is typical of a traditional settlement site with ‘family kraals’ spread out over a considerable area, which makes bringing services like water and electricity to the area, almost impossible.

The Mziki Agri Village Project: will help address the following issues that exist within the local community: lack of access to toilets, clean water and electricity, unemployment, high levels of illiteracy, the inability of families to sustain themselves off the land through lack of knowledge, skills and resources. This leads to poor nutrition amongst children which in turn leads to illness. Poor and inadequate shelters: mud and wattle homes that are in a very poor state of repair which again affects the general health and well being of the children. Finally the impact of HIV/Aids which is beginning to take its toll on families.

Why Volunteer? Just by being there and exchanging ideas, skills and knowledge, volunteers inject energy into a community, boosting morale and help to empower the families and individuals we work with. Volunteers raise funds and provide additional resources, but equally they bring hope to a community and a realisation that the international community is actually listening. Seeing is believing.

We are looking for volunteers to put their heart and 'sweat' into what we believe will be one of the most rewarding experiences we can offer: to provide a helping hand to a family in desperate need of a decent home. We are running a series of 9-day challenges working alongside local families to provide accommodation and the chance of a better future. Volunteers will work with local people under skilled supervision.

"I feel as though I have crammed a whole year's experience into seven incredible days. I left Africa with the satisfying knowledge that I’ve made a positive impact on somebody's life. On an emotional level, I feel as though I have bonded with the team and the community to the degree where I have both gained and lost a family in the space of a week. In the community itself, I feel that I’ve been shown some incredible things - such as hope, inspiration, and a clear established vision for a sustainable future. I have left Southern Africa as a much better person, with a clearer perspective and more positive attitude to life. It has been a very emotional journey, one which I hope to repeat again next year.”

Louise Llewellyn-Jones, South Africa communitychallenge, October 2007

The high cost of housing leaves low-income families little money for other basic necessities like food, clothing or health care. Substandard housing can endanger the health and safety of its occupants, erode their hope and self-worth, and impair their children's ability to succeed in school. Your communitychallenge will play a huge part in eradicating this issue. We work with families, as directed by Habitat for Humanity, based on where the demand is at the time of your challenge. The demands for assistance are constantly changing as houses are built and additional families become involved.

A communitychallenge provides an exciting opportunity for individuals and teams to travel and work closely with people of another culture and make a tangible difference in their lives. Building a home for someone else is a unique experience that opens your eyes to the plight of others who do not have the basic, decent shelter that most of us take for granted. It is a physical and emotional experience, and volunteers often come away knowing a great deal more about themselves than they did beforehand. All it takes to participate in a communitychallenge is enthusiasm and a desire to help make a difference. No other skills are required, as there will be supervisors on hand to show you what to do. Working in partnership with low-income families to build decent homes, your communitychallenge will help to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. By the end of 2007, 1.25 million people worldwide were living in 250,000 decent, affordable homes built by schemes such as these.

This package includes: International return flights departing from London (or ground only packages if participants join from overseas), 3* hotel accommodation, all transfers in country, all meals and drinking water, specialist travel and challenge insurance, full medical and first aid support, 24 hour team leadership in country, all building materials and tools, and community and cultural activities. Visas, vaccinations, tips, additional food and drink are not included.