Students from two large European schools build two homes in Bihor county
Over 70 volunteers come from Austria, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Romania, USA and Ukraine to build 2 homes in Oradea and Beius for families who need decent shelter.
This week, Habitat for Humanity Beius hosts two teams of volunteers from two world renowned schools in Europe – 13 volunteers from Le Rosey in Switzerland and 20 volunteers from the American International School of Salzburg in Austria. Two volunteers from Habitat Bulgaria are also working alongside the team from Le Rosey, while the team from Austria will have the benefit of support from 30 volunteers from Comau, a company in Oradea and also 8 journalists from the TV station Digi24 in Oradea.
„It’s been 10 years that Le Rosey has been organizing teams of student volunteers that come back to Beius, a community with which we have fallen in love, and to give a helping hand in building homes for modest families. It’s a very useful and beautiful experience for these youth who have the opportunity to understand the value of volunteering and involvement in helping the needy” said Mary Louise Bassiouni, teacher and volunteer coordinator from Switzerland.
In Beius, volunteers from Le Rosey will work from Monday through Thursday on the raising of the walls, roof and the thermal insulating. Meanwhile the volunteers from Austria will work from Wednesday to Friday in Oradea where they will be building the house structure. Given that the teams of volunteers are made up of youth, many journalists from Digi24 and also employees from Comau wish to give a helping hand, participating as volunteers at the event.
“I have always said that we should find time to think about others, especially those less fortunate than us. Let us find time to do something for them as an act of this kind brings both joy for those who are helped as well the one who help. And for me it is a matter of the heart and I’m always glad when I can respond to such invitations as of that made by Habitat,” says Bogdan Băcilă, TV editor producer.
In Beius, those who are the beneficiaries of the home are Mihai and Elena together with their daughter Denisa. They form a family that has gone through many difficulties in life, both coming from large families. More than that, both Mihai and Elena’s fathers died when they were adolescents and they were raised by their mothers and older siblings. The story of the beneficiaries from Oradea is a similar one with Dragos, the head of the family, growing up in an adoptive family. After his family fell apart during his childhood, he lived with his alcoholic father from who he ran away. Now he’s married and is spending his honeymoon working on building his own home and his own future.
You can see some pictures from the event in our Facebook page! From Beius here and from Oradea here!
