A
DEAF Southsider has been recognised for his selfless work with a charitable
organisation whose volunteers are building new homes for the poor in the slums
of the South African city of Cape Town.
John
P Doyle (57), from Tallaght, recently won the Social Contribution Award at the
first
‘Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards’, which highlight the achievements of those
who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Broadcaster
Gay Byrne presented John with his award.
The
awards are presented to those who are deaf or hard of hearing and have made a
significant contribution to society, their community, workplace, family or
through sporting excellence. The event is a joint initiative between Hidden
Hearing and the Irish Deaf Society.
John
and his family have raised
?¬40,000 for the Niall Mellon Township Trust since
2005 and John is returning to South Africa again in November for his eighth
trip in succession. John was the first member of the deaf community to travel
with the charity.
After
his first experience John promoted the charity and the work it does to other
friends and this November five members of the deaf community are travelling
with the trust to South Africa to build houses.
John,
who is a qualified carpenter by profession, describes himself as an
“all round
builder
?. He lost his job four years ago due to the downturn in the property
market.
He
explained that in November 2005 he decided to join the Niall Melon building
blitz in South Africa after he received a fax from his father who urged him to
take part when he saw Mr Melon being interviewed on the Late Late Show.
“I
suddenly found myself among 350 other strangers and volunteers at Dublin
Airport with me being the only deaf person amongst them,
? he recalled.
“This
sure had me bewildered and scared, and thinking what was I doing?
“After
my arrival in Cape Town, we went to the township of Imizamo Yethu, one of many
which consist of hundreds of shanty shacks. Words cannot describe my initial
horror at what I saw.
“I
have often stated since that it was in that moment I realised just how blessed
I was to have the life I do. Those moments witnessing for myself the stark
poverty were enough to spur me into action. I knew what I was doing was what I
wanted and was supposed to do.
“All
of us who went there to build houses were rewarded with the inner feeling of
being a hero to people one week previously we had no idea existed.
?
John
said that since then it has been his mission to keep his promise to return each
year and do his best to help. Having kept his promise John has now returned to
South Africa eight times with the Niall Melon Trust since 2005.
In
addition, he has managed to raise
?¬5,000 every year since 2005 for the Niall
Melon Township Trust by organising a wide range of fundraising events including
pub quizzes, raffles, car boot sales, and coffee mornings at his local church.
The
avid charity worker has also been helped by his daughter Sandra who raised
?¬2,000 last year by taking part in a parachute jump and his wife, Martina, who
has raised funds by taking part in the women’s mini marathon.