Update from Youth Build teams that have travelled to Romania and Poland this summer.
With many teams heading out on Youth Build projects over the summer, it is amazing to hear how the work of Habitat for Humanity is having such a positive impact on communities across the world.
Three Youth Build teams have kept blogs of their trips, below is just some of the encouraging words from team members and leaders.
Poland Youth Build
Earlier this month a Youth Build team of girls travelled to Warsaw to begin work on a renovation project of a hostel that had been abandoned for ten years. Following renovations, the hostel will serve drug and alcohol addicts in partnership with a rehabilitation centre in Wyszkow.
The girls had a successful trip, and it was evident the work carried out will make a huge impact on addicts in the local community. Team members have said:
“We hope that in our time here we have done more than just help with the physical renovation of the hostel, but have also created relationships and a sense of community”.
“We have learnt how to work in solidarity with people no matter what their situation or nationality”.
Romania Youth Build
A team of teenagers travelled to Romania to work alongside Habitat for Humanity in Ploiesti. The team helped Stefan and his family rebuild their house after a fire devastated their home, providing them with a better future.
The team said, “We together in our group of twenty have altered Stefan and his wife’s past, present and future. We were witnesses to the start of their journey to a new home and a new life today”.
“We will never forget the people we met in Romania and the faith and hope that Stefan and his wife had despite all that they had been through”.
Romania Youth Build
A second Youth Build team travelled to Romania to work on community buildings.
Volunteer James said, “It has made me experience poverty and now I realise the reality of poverty and it needs to be eliminated. I really enjoyed experiencing a culture that was pretty much alien to me, I only hope I managed to leave some small impact”.
Team leader Garth has shared his experience and what impacted him the most was “simply the poverty and the conditions that some of the families live in. It was nice to see how happy the kids were by the simplest of things”.
Want to get involved in a similar type of project?
If you are keen to do a Youth Build project next year, register your interest by emailing gv@habitatni.co.uk
There are still some spaces on the Big Build trip to Romania in October. Learn more here.
If you wish to support the work of Habitat NI, please give what you can and donate here.
