The ugliness of recent headlines has been undeniable, with around 100 Romanians fleeing Northern Ireland, threatened by a bunch of racist yobs.  And yet in a few months 250 people from the province will seek to counteract this story of shame. They’ll travel to Romania as part of an imaginative building project aimed at bringing hope to the lives of ten families.

Building homes for needy families

Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland is behind the Big Build 09 initiative.  The local charity has chartered two aeroplanes, which will leave Dublin on the 3rd October, and now they are looking to reach the full quota of volunteers to fill those flights.

Peter Farquharson, the charity’s co-founder and Executive Director, believes that the trip, which has been organised to mark Habitat’s 15 year anniversary in Northern Ireland, can help transform lives in Romania: “Its a way of celebrating our global partnerships and our commitment to transforming communities - by building decent homes alongside those in need wherever they live.”

Over the last 10 years 27 Habitat teams have travelled to Romania, where more than 300 local volunteers worked alongside families in need to build homes there. But the charity believes that links between Northern Ireland and Romania have never been stronger, as their spokesperson Jenny Williams explains: “We have had a long-term partnership with the country, many people have had links through local schools which have sought to alleviate the awful legacy of orphanages there.

“It’s ironic in the midst of us making these plans to return to Romania, the glare of the worldwide media spotlight has been focussing on Northern Ireland and our relationship with Romania.”

Habitat are determined that the Big Build will alleviate some of the problems faced by a country where 35% of the total housing stock is in a state of complete neglect and needing urgent repairs.

So far 180 volunteers have signed up for the Big Build, with spaces on the trip for another 70 people.  And Jenny has this message to those interested: “There is a huge housing need in Romania and we have this opportunity to show them that people in Northern Ireland care…that we want to see the lives of 10 orphan families transformed.”