Aramco Expats

Homebuilding in Exciting Romania

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Author: Habitat for Humanity International
Released 20 February 2008

Why not vacation with a purpose? Habitat for Humanity International, is a nonprofit organization that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness throughout the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.

Through volunteers and donations of money and materials, Habitat renovates and builds simple and decent homes in partnership with the family owners. No prior construction experience is necessary. All teams work with the future homeowners, local volunteers and skilled construction workers; providing construction supervision.  You will be working with Habitat Radauti construction team and its members will supervise you and give advice on how to do things and how to use the tools. The construction activities you’ll take part in depend on the stage and type of construction (new houses or renovations) when you are in Radauti. You may be involved in making and pouring the concrete, building the wooden frames, roof trusses, raising the walls, roofing, insulating, hanging plasterboard, gypsum filling, sanding, exterior plastering, painting.

Habitat Romania operates in seven areas throughout the country. Through Habitat Romania, our group of volunteers will work for seven days, side-by-side with the owners of a house to be built in the northern town of Radauti. Radauti (rah-dah-OOTS) is a charming village located in a valley not far from the Ukraine border. During our build time in Radauti we will take some time to tour local sites, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of the painted monasteries.

Once the build potion of the trip has been completed we will tour the historic countryside of Transylvania. We will stay in the town of Sighisoara (another UNESCO World Heritage site), Romania’s best-preserved medieval fortified town for a walking tour including the Clock Tower Museum and the house where Dracula was born. We will continue to Romania’s town of Sibiu, a Saxon village deep in the mountains of Transylvania.  Walking tours of the village include the historic city center, the Main Square and the Little Square, the Old Town Hall's Tower, the Ladder Tower, Maria Kirche Teutsch (Evangelical church), and the famous fortress church of Biertan.  Our last visit in the area of Transylvania is to the Saxon city of Brasov, visiting the Gothic Black Church and exploring the Old Town.  Our final day will be in Bucharest and include a tour of the Palace of Parliament and open-air Folk Museum.

 

This trip will be limited to 22 people and the cost depends on which option you choose. Option 1 includes both participation in the build and touring after the build. The cost is $2,800. Option 2 is participation in the Habitat build only with an ending date of October 4. The cost for option 2 is $2,200. Both options includes, lodging, breakfast and lunch, most dinners, transportation to and from the build site, cultural excursions, traveler's medical insurance, orientation materials and a donation to Habitat Romania. (given this is a charitable venture, the donation and a substantial portion of the trip costs are tax deductible). These options do not include airfare.

The trip leaders are Charlie Franck a Saudi Aramco annuitant himself presently living in Dhahran with his wife.  He is a trained Habitat for Humanity team leader and has previously led three HfH trips.  Paul Sutterlin is also a trained Habitat for Humanity team leader and worked for Saudi Aramco from 1978-1990.  Recently retired, Paul is excited about leading his first Habitat build.

For more registration information, contact Charlie at cfranck47@yahoo.com or 966-3-878-1850 or Paul Sutterlin at PaulS97044@aol.com  or 860-614-9895.