Kelvin, 16, was homeless. The young Tanzanian schoolboy had to move in with his cousins and his dream of becoming an engineer was disappearing. It wasn’t until our volunteers at Vine Trust were called in to build him and his family a home brick by brick, that his dreams were given a new lease of life.

Many children and their families in Tanzania have a story like Kelvin’s. The devastating effects of poverty and HIV are tearing families apart, often forcing young boys to provide for their families rather than getting an education and following their dreams.

When we returned to Tanzania the next year I saw Kelvin was a changed young man full of confidence. We walked up to his home where he met us with a beaming smile. He was well on his way to becoming an engineer.

I was quite overwhelmed. The work we do is not just about providing bricks and mortar and building walls for shelter. It’s so much more than that. What we were able to give to Kelvin was a safe place for building a better future, and you simply can’t put a price on that.

The houses our volunteers build in Tanzania are comfortable, three-bedroom homes with a cosy veranda for cooking. Considering that the same amount of money can effortlessly be spent on a kitchen refit in the UK, I think we have a lot to learn from our friends in Tanzania. Don’t get me wrong, I’d enjoy a nice new kitchen as much as the next person. But after seeing the life-changing effect that a home can have on a young boy and his family, no new worktop can really match that.

Our volunteers work hard on the building projects in Tanzania, but more help is needed. Vine Trust is calling out for people just like you and me to roll up their sleeves and get involved. There’s nothing quite like it, and the memories made along the journey will last a lifetime.

Personally, I can’t wait to go back. Kelvin’s story has touched and inspired me and all the volunteers that were involved in building a home and a future for that boy. There are still so many homes and shelters to be built, stories yet to be told and lives to be changed for the better.