Hook has ‘life-changing’ time in Haiti

RUGBY pundit George Hook broke down in tears yesterday during his charity work in Haiti and said he is having a “life-changing experience”.

The Newstalk presenter has now called on Ronan O’Gara and Brian O’Driscoll for support with his charity work.

George is in Haiti, one of the world’s poorest countries, this week with 260 Irish volunteers building houses for Dublin charity Haven.

When George visited the homes of some of the families who would be benefiting from the house-building programme he said nothing prepared him for it, and started crying while talking to the families.

He said the experience has been “incredibly emotional,” adding that he would like to take part in Haven’s next house-building project in April.

He said he wouldn’t encourage rugby stars like O’Gara and O’Driscoll to take part in Build It Week because they wouldn’t have the time, but said he thinks they can support the charity by lending their support.

“What these guys can do with this project is be the face of it or approach people,” he said.

George is making a documentary for RTÉ while in Haiti but he insists he didn’t come here to do that, he came to be a volunteer.

“I’ve been very conscious of wanting to be a volunteer,” he said.

He gets up most mornings at 6.30am and his job in the kitchen is to fry seven dozen eggs for the hungry volunteers working in the baking heat.

He said that he has another, self-appointed role, which is keeping people’s moral up.

“If it’s 105 degrees in the shade and some fella says to you, ‘George, Munster lost again, what’s going to happen,’ then you have a role,” he said.

Away from charity work George said he “adores” getting noticed when he’s out.

“I’d often be out shopping with Ingrid and pushing the trolley around and Ingrid would be about two lanes ahead clutching Daz and various other things and I’d be stopped talking to people. I can’t understand when people say I want my privacy,” he said.

He also said he thinks Ryan Tubridy is better suited to the Late Late Show and Pat Kenny is better suited to The Frontline.

“Now they are playing to their strengths,” he said.

A group of 180 men and 80 women are taking part in Haven’s first Build It Week at the moment.

Haven was established by Cork businessman Leslie Buckley and his wife Carmel with the aim of building 1,000 homes and upgrading 2,000 more in Haiti by the end of 2011.

It is hoped that 40 houses will be built this week which will house 240 Haitians.