Belfast barrister Gavin Bonnar is part of a 1,350-strong team of Irishmen and women who are currently transforming the living conditions of 200 families in South Africa.

The fifth Niall Mellon Township Trust team rolled up their sleeves on Friday to build houses, complete with running water, electricity and sanitation facilities, in Cape Town's Freedom Park.

Gavin and stunning Sharon have actively supported the charity's efforts with fundraising dinners and profile-heightening interviews.

The Ulsterman revealed that their passion for helping to provide homes in South Africa's shanty towns came while The Corrs were performing at the 46664 - Nelson Mandela Concert for Aids awareness in 2003.

It was a chance meeting with an Irishman involved with the trust and a life-changing visit to a Cape Town township which stirred Gavin into action.

He said: "They were short of labourers and asked me if I would be interested in helping out. The project sounded amazing.

"These people would, otherwise, sleep in huts made of corrugated iron which are freezing in winter and roasting in summer.

"The first thing that hit me was the smell. There was this horrible stench that you couldn't escape."

Added Gavin: "I remember an old woman standing beside a cauldron which had bits of meat people had thrown into it.

"The whole community ate from it and there were flies swarming around it. It looked like a scene from Macbeth. "

After his first stint, the Belfastman was buzzing from being part of the trust team.

"There's a lot of Irish out there. There was a great atmosphere.

"Everyone chipped in and I can honestly say I got more out of it than I put in."

The trust team will spend eight days, building two bedroomed homes as well as a community centre and a Garden of Hope.

And then it's back home to Sharon and their two children, Cahal and Flori.

Said Gavin of the time they first met: "The first time I met her was in a nightclub. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

"She was standing at the bar and I thought I didn't stand a chance in hell with her.

"But we started talking and we haven't stopped talking since!"

> If you are interested in taking part in next year's Niall Mellon Township Trust Challenge ring 003531 4948200 or click www.irishtownship.com .