GEDA - Geda employee Eddie Murnin travels to Capetown

06 November 2007

On 2nd November 2007 GEDA employee Eddie Murnin travelled to Cape Town, South Africa with a team of 1380 volunteers as part of the biggest ever Township Challenge.

During the one week building blitz the group surpassed their target of 200 houses and built an impressive 203. These 203 houses will house 1,100 children and 450 adults.

The week of hard work has changed the lives of generations of some of the poorest families in the world. Over 200 families have moved from a one roomed shack measuring 3m x 3m to a house with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Most importantly, these houses will have running water, electricity, and sanitation - facilities we take for granted in our everyday lives.

We spoke to Eddie to gain some insight into his experience in Cape Town.

Was it what you had expected before the trip?

Before I went to Cape Town I knew that there was a very real problem but what I didn’t realise was the vast extent of it. It’s hard to imagine the poverty that exists there. What I couldn’t understand and still can’t was how the centre of Cape Town was so modern and affluent but 2 miles out the road you seen families of 7-8 living in a tin hut, no bigger than a garden shed. These people literally have nothing.

Was it a worthwhile experience?

In the week that we were there we completed 203 houses. This sounds like a great achievement but realistically it is only a drop in the ocean. It definitely was worthwhile as we have changed so many people’s lives. For the first time kids will have their own bedroom and families will have their own privacy. The feeling you get from helping these people cannot be described, just knowing that we have given kids a chance to make something of their life is gratifying.

Describe a typical days work.

The buses left the hotel at 7.15am and we were on site for 8.00am. My role on site was organisation of materials for all trades and labouring to joiners. Every morning that I walked on to site I could visibly see the difference that was being made. Everything was moving so quickly and the organisation was amazing.

Describe the reception from the locals.

The first morning that we arrived on site we were greeted by hundreds of locals and they made us feel very welcome. To them we were giving up so much to go out and help them and so were standing at the gates to speak to us and shake our hands each morning. They were so grateful to have us there and to see that people do care.

Congratulations to all those involved and Eddie would like to pass his sincere thanks to all who contributed to his fundraising efforts.