Many visitors to South Africa have been saddened by the proliferation of shacks that are visible from the freeways around the cities.

The reality is that a large percentage of people in South Africa live in shacks because their income is so low they cannot afford bonds to buy a house.

The visitor has obviously asked "What can be done to help these people?" The quick solution, often thought about is to give money, or to build homes for them, but often the money does not reach the needy individual, and even if it does, a gift that costs nothing is often not respected.

By building their own homes the homeless gain self-respect and pride and learn skills that benefit the whole community. The Hotels Housing Trust working together with Habitat for Humanity, South Africa, raises money through tourism to assist poor communities to build their own homes under special guidance from experienced builders, community leaders and both International and South Africa volunteers who help to build.

This scheme has proved hugely successful and is definitely one of the best possible ways that people may obtain a home for themselves without losing their dignity or standing around waiting for a handout.

The Hotels Housing Trust was started in 1998. Visitors from the UK, with connections to the Gatsby Family Charitable Trust, who wanted to do something to help provide housing for destitute shack dwellers who live near the airport and the outskirts of the City of Cape Town.

A brochure is put into hotel rooms in Cape Town and hopefully in the near future in Johannesburg & Durban. It offers guests an opportunity to contribute towards housing for the poor and needy.

Every cent of the donation goes towards building houses as all the administration costs of the Hotels Housing Trust are raised through independent fund raising. We are currently supported by a group of dedicated hotels in Cape Town. We would like to encourage other hotels and tourism partners nationally to join us and support our cause.

To date, over 2 Million Rand has been raised through the brochure and it has been used to:

• Fund the building of 136 homes in the Victoria Mxenge Village in Philippi.
• Building of a crèche in Victoria Mxenge in Philippi
• The building of 8 homes, via Habitat for Humanity South Africa, in Mfuleni.
• To celebrate National Woman’s Day 4 – 8 August 2008, staff from the hotels who support the Hotels Housing Trust came out and volunteered to build another new home in Mfuleni, Cape Town.

In addition:

• The brochure has a won an international design award.
• The Hotels Housing Trust was recognised by Responsible Travel in the United Kingdom and included in their publication, Achievement in Responsible Tourism, which was launched at the World Travel Market in London in November 2007. This was the only project from South Africa which was included into this publication.
• Nominee in 2008 for an Imvelo Responsible Tourism Award.