The fastest builders return to Beiuş
Students from Wesley College, Dublin are the fastest volunteers builders of Habitat for Humanity Beius who succeeded in building 2 homes in 4.5 days.
Thousands of volunteers from around the world during the last 15 years have worked together with families in need from Beius. The fastest of these have proved to be the youth from Wesley College in Dublin, Ireland. In 2008, they managed to raise two homes in just four and a half days, a record for Habitat in Europe. This year, the youth have returned to Beiuş, not to break records, but to again help Beiuşians who currently don’t have decent living conditions.
“We are glad to have these wonderful youth again in Beiuş, they have been an inspiration for us and for our students, who in turn have followed their example and have been involved in volunteer activities, initially with the Irish, but later on by themselves. “said Professor Marcel Coroiu, President Habitat for Humanity Beiuş.
The team from Wesley is made up of 16 students coordinated by 4 teachers from the school. They will stay 10 days in Romania between the 5th and 15th June, during which they will be involved on the Habitat projects as well as visiting tourist attractions in the west and central regions of Romania where they will find out more about our country. With the same goal, they will not be staying in a hotel, but will be hosted by Beius families, with whom they will eat together and participate in local cultural and sport activities.
“I’ve had a beautiful and unique experience in Romania. Colleagues who had been here in previous years kept telling me how good it was, so I decided to come too. But what we experienced here has far exceeded what my colleagues told me. I met wonderful people, saw beautiful places, I discovered skills which I didn’t know I have,” says Conor, one of last year’s volunteers.
The first volunteers from Wesley College came to Beius in 2003. Since then, they have returned yearly, with it now being a tradition that the Irish school is present with volunteers in Beius. Their primary motivation is helping the needy, but in the same time students are encouraged by the school system to participate in such actions by the opportunities available within the school curriculum.
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You can watch more interviews here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3He6pxL5nA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeTGJUHa3dQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqIlqZbZT_I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFqgmLKJ3D0
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The Coraş Family
Traian Coraş is from Voievozi, a mountain village near Marghita (which is 150km from Beiuş)
and Cecilia is from Cuzap (also near Marghita). Traian has been working as a dentist at the Ștei Psychiatric Hospital since 2004 and Cecilia is on maternity leave but previously was working at a cosmetic / hair salon in Beiuş.
Traian and Cecilia got married in 2007 and they now have 2 children, Alexandru (2 years and 2 months old) and Radu (2 months old). They’ve lived in various rental locations in Ștei and then with an aunt in Brădet, then in Beiuş and again in Ștei. Cecilia who is currently on maternity leave, spends most of her time with the two children living in her parent’s home in Cuzap. Traian is living in Beiuş in rental accommodation with other work colleagues. Cecilia comes with the two children to Beiuş now and again, while Traian goes to see them at the weekend. Because it’s been very difficult to live like this, with only Cecilia’s grandmother to help them (Cecilia’s parents are divorced and Traian’s brothers are both settled elsewhere), they decided to call on Habitat to get a decent home.
“When you have your home, you are more secure, you have something to work for, you can offer a future to your children and you are more optimistic.” says Cecilia Coraş.
For family stability and because they are thinking of the future of their children, who will soon enter the educational system, the Coraş family have been desperately trying to find their own place to provide stability and to keep the family together.
“I am very grateful for what these young people are doing and I wish them good health so that they may continue to help other families like how I will do in the future. We’ll keep them in our thoughts and prayers,” said Traian Coraş.
