Big Build’09 is the event of the year for Habitat for Humanity Romania and Northern Ireland and a major event of the European countries affiliated with our organization. It will be hosted in Beius, Bihor County, Romania, during October 3rd - 10th, 2009 and it has the following objectives:
Signal to Romanians and the world, during October 5th's UN sponsored World Habitat Day,
that poverty housing affects billions of people;Build at least 10 homes, in partnership with disadvantaged young adults previously raised in state orphanages, with some 150 volunteers from Northern Ireland and about 100 Romanian and other volunteers, during October 3rd through 10th;Celebrate 15 years of Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland and their commitment to building houses, building community and building hope at home and around the world. Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland initiated this Big Build as part of their celebrations and the close partnerships and long term support for HFH Romania. We hope the event will become an annual event. Increase participation of local authorities, central government, corporations, churches, foundations and public at large in addressing and solving poverty housing;
Promote access to simple, decent housing for disadvantaged categories like orphans, other
vulnerable people, rroma and the working poor in general;
Raise VIP and celebrity support for the cause;
Promote solidarity between countries across
Corporates
Why to support the BIG BUILD event?
experience CSR at its top notch;
do an extraordinary Socially Responsible Investment;
promote the human right of a decent home for every child and every family;
put a smile on the faces of those who are living in poverty conditions;
enhance your company's visibility and your public's good will;
associate with the leading global non profit on poverty housing;
brighten the future of a young adult, raised as an orphan during childhood;
network in a very innovative way.
Ways you can help?
be an event partner for 100.000 euro;
be a home sponsor for 25.000 euro;
be a home partner for 12.500 euro;
donate materials in-kind for the home building;
contribute any other significant amount;
invite your business partners to join in.
Habitat and Its corporate partners
In 1999, Habitat for Humanity hosted the 'Eclipse Build', where 380 volunteers built 10 houses in just 9 working days. Companies like Knauf, Dow Chemicals, Wavin and European Drinks were partners of the event. Beatrix Knauf, the heiress of the Knauf German Group, personally participated
In 2006, AVIVA sponsored built 3 homes in only 5 days with 100 volunteers in Cluj. Aviva employees came from UK, USA, Turkey, Hong Kong and Romania, and the company's donation totaled 100.000 Euros.
In September 2007 olunteers from Romania, Europe USA worked with 27 families to build 27 homes one for each nation of the European Union in just days. Ambassadors,politicians, corporate leaders and European Union representatives . Partners of the Euro 2007 Habitat Build were Vodafone, Lafarge and BRD Bank. Other sponsors included Whirlpool, Consolis, Petrom, McDonald's, Citi Group, MoneyGram, Coca Cola, Lasselsberger Knauf, Isover, Austrotherm, Moeller and Akzo No el made this extraordinary event possible through donations of money, building materials and by sending volunteers
In 2008 in Cluj, the Vodafone Romania Foundation built 10 houses in 6 days with the help of 300 Vodafone volunteers and an investment of 240,000 EUR. Vodafone Foundation was celebrating its 10th year of assisting communities in need.
During the “Building for the Future" project in 2008, Petrom and Habitat helped 66 families in Bacau County. Mrs. Mariana Gheorghe, CEO of Petrom volunteered on the building site. Following the 2008 floods in Doljesti, Petrom made a 1 million dollar donation to help 110 affected families, who had lost their homes, to rebuild their lives.
Space only stops us to continue with a long list of highly responsible corporate supporters of our work. Habitat thanks to all of them!
VIP's
Why should a VIP support the BIG BUILD?
represent your country or your public and demonstrate solidarity with people in need from all over the world;
promote responsible citizenship among Romanians;
promote the human right of a decent home for every child and for every family;
put a smile on the faces of those who are living in poverty conditions;
meet other positive trend brokers in an innovative format;
be part of a group of people willing to make a difference.
Ways you can help
allocate funds for the home construction;
be a keynote speaker on UN World Habitat Day when most of the VIPs will participate – 5th of October 2009;
host a presentation with an important corporation or individual from your network that could join the event as a sponsor;
invite the expat community and your co-nationals to volunteer with Habitat;
support our advocacy efforts;
write an endorsement letter which will help us to get support from other decision makers;
volunteer for one day on the building site.
National & Global leaders, diplomats and VIP's work with Habitat
Former US Ambassador James Rosapepe together with 380 volunteers from all over the world built 10 houses during 9 working days in 1999, at the Eclipse Build.
More than 650 volunteers attended the Euro 2007 Habitat Build in the city of Radauti. They worked with 27 poor families to build 27 houses -one for each nation of the European Union - in only 5 days, celebrating Romania’s access to the EU. Ambassadors Chiarini, Vassalo, former presidents Constantinescu and Iliescu, Minister Borbely, Ilie Nastase, Cristian Gatu and many others attended.
Romania was the only country that participated with Habitat volunteers and donations at the Carter Work Project 2008 helping hurricane Katrina victims. This way romanians expressed gratitude of thousands of american volunteers that helped Romanians in the past. This was the 25th year Jimmy Carter volunteered a whole week helping the poor together with Habitat worldwide.
In April 2007 HM King Michael of Romania and HE Princess Margareta participated at a Habitat build in Beius.
CEO's like Mrs. Mariana Gheorghe (Petrom SA), Mr. Philippe Questiaux (Lafarge), Mr.Shahmir Khaliq (Citigroup), Mr. Malvinder Singh (Terapia Ranbaxy), Mr. Morten Jensen (Smithfield Prod) and others have all been part of our building and PR events.
TV celebrities Alessandra Stoicescu and Andreea Marin Banica volunteered on our building sites.
At the Big Build event, HE Robin Barnett, the UK Ambassador to Romania, and former President Constantinescu have already confirmed participation as volunteers.
Who will benefit?
The beneficiaries are orphans raised amongst the crumbling state institutions of the communist era and the horrors of the post-communist orphanage system. Since being turned out on the streets at 18, without a decent education or employable skills, they were marginalized by a community that didn't want them. Some of them have started their own families, creating an even larger need to escape their impoverished housing conditions.
I never knew what “home” really means. I was abandoned as a small child in an orphanage in Oradea. I graduated a vocational school with a specialty in shoe manufacturing and I got a job, but soon lost it because I lost my housing. Then I met Kalman in Beius and soon we married. Presently I live in the same space with my in-laws, my husband and our little girl, Andrada.” - Dorina Balázs
“I was abandoned by my parents and I grew up in an orphanage in Beius. At the age of 16 I got hired at a garment factory in Beius. Because of my medical problems I had no money for a room of my own. I wish to have my own family and my own home.” Irina Farkas
“I was 12 years old when mymother died and my father left us. My sisters got married soon, so I was raised by an aunt. Now I live in a two room apartment in a house together with my mother in law, my brother in law and his family (his wife and their three children). We don't have running water and bathroom inside the house, just a decrepit toilet in the garden. I wish to raise my little boy in better conditions.” -Teodor Sandra
În anul 2003, Lafarge Romcim și Habitat for Humanity România au încheiat un parteneriat pentru 5 ani, care formaliza angajamentul Lafarge de a contribui la construirea și renovarea de case [...]
Stiu ca se fac lucruri minunate,dar nu totdeauna se merge pana la sfarsit,ca beneficiarii sa se bucure cu adevarat.Si ei vin cu bani ,cu voluntariat si s-ar bucura ca lucrurile sa fie finalizate.O familie prietena din Cluj,Andronesi, a avut aceasta sansa,dar pana in momentul de fata ,nu este conectata la reteaua de gaz,chiar daca locuieste intr-un cartier din Cluj,a avut gaz,punctul de conectare e aproape,dar nu au fost conectati,desi casa este terminata demult.Vine frigul,pe fetita cea mica o asteapta lucrarile care se dau in clasa a 8-a si ea nu are conditii sa invete.
Rog pe cei implicati sa-si faca datoria si sa conecteze aceasta familie la reteaua de gaz,sa se poata bucura cu adevarat de ceea ce s-a realizat.Sper sa fiu auzita si sa se rezolve lucrurile cat mai grabnic.
Cu stima,
Maria
27-10-2009
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“I was 12 years old when mymother died and my father left us. My sisters got married soon, so I was raised by an aunt. Now I live in a two room apartment in a house together with my mother in law, my brother in law and his family (his wife and their three children). We don't have running water and bathroom inside the
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.jpg "Big Build’09 - the event of the year for HfH Romania, Big Build ziua 3")
