Dublin City Council will today host a civic reception in the Mansion House for 150 Irish builders who built 32 houses in ten days to replace shanty homes in a South African township.
The Township Challenge project, which had the support of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, built three houses a day last December in the Imizamo Yehto township.
The project, which was organised by businessman Mr Niall Mellon, plans to have built 450 homes in South Africa by the end of 2004
Mr Mellon donated €2 million to set up the project while Mr Paddy
Kelly, a Tipperary developer donated €1 million.
Mr Mellon said: "Anyone who comes here to help will not only feel inspired but will walk away feeling proud to be Irish.
He said: "I want the lasting legacy of the Celtic Tiger to be that the Irish can look beyond their own lives and help those less fortunate."
Congratulating everyone involved in the Township Challenge, Lord Mayor
Royston Brady acknowledged the massive organisation involved in
co-ordinating such a large effort.