Maria and Valentin, together with their six-year-old son, Andrei, are rebuilding their lives after the explosion that destroyed their home in Bucharest’s Rahova neighbourhood in October 2025. In a single moment, everything they called home was gone, and the family had to start again.
“Everything went black…the whole kitchen was black. I just shouted, ‘Andrei!'” Maria recalls, remembering the terrifying moments when she feared she had lost her son.
With the help of a neighbour, the family managed to escape their apartment. Within minutes, they had lost their home, their belongings and the certainty of what tomorrow would bring.
Today, they are living in an apartment provided with the support of Habitat for Humanity Romania, just a few minutes from where their home once stood. It is a different place, but it offers something they need most: stability.
The apartment they lost had been purchased through a bank loan in December 2024. They moved in just two months later. By October 2025, their lives had changed forever.
Maria and Andrei are receiving psychological counselling as they rebuild their sense of security. Despite everything he has experienced, Andrei still ends each day with the simple words of a child:”Thank you, God, for saving Mum and me.”
In the midst of unimaginable loss, Habitat for Humanity Romania’s support meant more than a roof over their heads. It gave the family time, stability and the opportunity to begin again.
The family is one of 28 families supported through Habitat for Humanity Romania’s response to the Rahova explosion. The organisation has provided rented apartments for families affected by the disaster, with rent covered for 18 to 24 months, giving them the stability they need to recover and take the first steps towards rebuilding their lives.
