In 2000, Habitat for Humanity Beiuş launched its most successful and most publicized event which we named „Easter House”. Through this project, at least one needy family is helped to live in safe, healthy and decent conditions. So, Romanian and international volunteers build together with the home beneficiaries up until Easter week when the home is inaugurated on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.
This year at Easter, the house beneficiary is a young man who didn’t have the joy of growing up with his parents but instead grew up in an orphanage. This young man is Marinel Pistuka, who has an impressing life story. He now has an exciting chance to radically change his live, building his house which he has dreamt of, since he was small.
Finding out about his story, many local volunteers and volunteers from abroad have jumped at the chance to help him. A team of volunteers from Neuchâtel Junior College in Switzerland have given up their vacation to work on the Easter house. At the same time, as part of the project „A different type of school”, volunteers from the Economic College „Partenie Cosma” in Oradea and also the Pentecostal Theological High School Betel mobilized themselves to participate in the actual raising of the house.
Alongside these hearty youth, the project was supported by multinational companies and companies from Oradea. Wienerberger donated the bricks necessary for the construction, Faist participated with 20 volunteers for a day and supported the project financially and Comau quickly mobilized 50 volunteers who worked for 2 days on the site and supported the costs of necessary materials. Last but not least, Endles from Sînmartin helped us with depositing and transporting of materials for the Easter House.
THANK YOU!
Marinel Pistuka’s story:
Marinel Pistuka was born in the village of Ciutelec near Marghita and was abandoned at birth. Up until he was 4 years old, he lived in orphanage in Tinca and then in Oradea. It was here in Oradea that he met the teacher Vasile Sferle, who was teaching Technology education. Children in the orphanage would beat each other and were beaten also by supervisors. Marinel became attached to this teacher, in whom he found support and a protector. Marinel finished carpentry school and then found a job. At the age of 18, when youth move out of orphanages on to the street, without a future, Vasile took him into his care and helped him find a job.
“The only thing that he dreams of, is having his own home. He buys nothing, not even medication or clothes, he just saves money to fulfil his dream” says Mr Sferle.
Around 10 years ago, Marinel decided to build himself a home and since then everything he’s done has been towards this goal. So he applied to the local council to receive a piece of land according to the law 15/2003, which provides land to build a home, to youth up to the age of 35 years old. His application was approved in the summer of 2007 and with money that he had saved up until then, he made the project and with his own strength built the foundation.
In 2008, Habitat started a project in Oradea and Marinel found out about the organization and put his hope in them, that they could help him to build his home. He participated as a volunteer and passed through all the different selection stages, and became one of the happy ones who will benefit from a Habitat house.
“After I will have my own house, I will be able to have a family, to have children who will not have any worries, to live well, not how I spent my childhood,” said Marinel. “I will make all the furniture in my home as I like carpentry work and I can make anything.”
Learn here how you can help:
The Savior taught us that it is a great joy to give, and we all know how it is ti give a gift, especially at Easter. Now you have the chance to have joy as large as a house, by getting involved and helping an orphan change his life radically as a result or your „sacrifice”. He will live in a decent house because you got involved and you helped him in the most concrete way possible!
– Donate to or sponsor this successful project.
– Give any construction materials or tools necessary for the building of homes.
– Participate as a volunteer or organize a team building together with Habitat.
– Promote the Easter House event amongst your friends and ask them to get involved as well. Write on your own website, on your blog, post on your social networks. Share this post.
– Pray for the success of the event and for the future of Marinel.
– Contact us if you have other ideas about how we can help families in need of housing.
May you have an Easter full of joy and fulfilment together with your loved ones!
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