Who we are
Hands of Hope was established in 2005 and drawn from a group of people working with the poor and needy in Romania. The focus on Romania has remained with a diverse range of very real needs being met as well as a regular pattern of aid, work and support for established charities already working in Romania. One of the reasons for the charities success in this field has been the way other charities in the location work with us and with one another for the common good and glory of God.
Romania is a country in South Eastern Europe. It borders Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the north east and Bulgaria to the south. It is located in the lower basin of the Danube and its capital is Bucharest.
Tourist guides promote Romania as one of the most beautiful countries of southeast Europe with majestic castles, medieval towns, great hiking and wildlife. Economists tell us that Romania’s economy is thriving with unemployment rates relatively low and productivity rising, (although the official statistics do not include those unemployed for more than 9 months, of which there are many!)
On the face of it one may be tempted to believe that Romania is doing very well and that not much poverty exists. This unfortunately is not true. In rural communities and small towns real suffering is experienced with people existing on a very low income threshold. Coupled with this are serious problems in the healthcare sector, education and social assistance. This is especially so in the NE region of Romania which is so far away from the capital of Bucharest.
The work we do:
Building Projects
Building homes for the homeless. In the last 8 years, we have built 13 homes & contributed towards 4 other builds in the county of Botosani. Seven of the houses are on the outskirts of Dorohoi where the charity holds them and several acres of land in trust. The tenants have a security of tenure & are encouraged to work together on the land with crops being shared between them. We plan to build an amenity block with showers, washing machine and a meeting room on this site.
We are currently building 1 to 2 houses each year and have land set aside for several future projects.
We have found that giving a family a new home is just one stage to enabling them to have a better life. With unemployment so high and income so low the families still struggle to afford even the basics of life.
Work in the Community
Hands of Hope assists poor & needy families in many areas of Botosani, Dorohoi and the surrounding areas. The charity aims to keep families together and help support and educate them to a better lifestyle. We help provide food, clothing and sometimes sponsorship is provided to help the family pull through until they can provide for themselves. It is an area of high unemployment; many people exist by subsistence farming. It is an extreme climate with temperatures as high as +45C in the summer and as low as -35C in the winter. In this area many people still live in houses made of mud bricks with no sanitation or electricity or in crumbling communist apartment blocks, also with no sanitation. Many people have only their child allowance of £9 a month per child to exist on. The rent of a single room in a shared house is about £21 a month. Prices of basic foods are escalating with some food costing more than in the Isle of Man. In June 2011 inflation was reported to be 8.3%.
Star of Hope Centre for children with special needs
Since 2004 we have also supported the work of this centre which is run by another local charity. The centre works with children with many different special needs; Down’s Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Microcephalus and other disabilities providing not just a resource for the children but also support and encouragement for the parents who have recently formed their own parents association in order to better approach local government for support. Over the past years we have seen the children be enabled to develop to their full potential and some are now able to attend mainstream school. We have supported the work by providing equipment, computers, stationary, toys and craft materials and have also contributed towards educational conferences for the parents, days out and summer holidays for the children and their parents.
Important Information
All of the money raised by the charity is spent helping the poor and needy. All individuals and teams travelling to help in Romania or other countries do so at their own personal expense. We try and spend as much as possible locally and provide local employment wherever we can. Although we are a Christian charity our work aims to demonstrate Gods love for all of his children, whatever their background or faith, Gods Love in Action.
Please contact Ruth if you would like any more information on the work of Hands of Hope or would like Hands of Hope to give a talk/presentation about their work.
