In just five days, more than 1,000 volunteers from Romania and around the world came together to build 36 homes for families in the village of Izvoare, Bacău County. BIG BUILD 2017 became Europe’s largest accelerated homebuilding and volunteer event.
For the 36 families who now call these houses home, BIG BUILD was about much more than construction. It meant the opportunity to live in a decent home and a powerful reminder that when people come together, they can build stronger communities.
Together with SOS Children’s Villages Romania, we helped create the country’s first social community to generate its own renewable electricity. The photovoltaic panels installed at SOS Children’s Village Bucharest will reduce energy costs, allowing more resources to be directed towards programmes that support children and young people.
The project also includes the renovation of two buildings that will provide space for education and psychological counselling. Every year, more than 700 children and young people benefit from the programmes run by SOS Children’s Villages Romania.
In Berceni commune, Habitat for Humanity Romania is developing affordable homes for families living in inadequate housing who need the opportunity to build a more stable future. Together with local authorities, volunteers and partners, we are building not only homes, but a new community.
Over the past five years, 20 families have moved into their new homes and started a new chapter in their lives. The project continues, and over the coming years we will build 20 more homes, giving more families the opportunity to build a safer, more secure future.
In Buftea, Habitat for Humanity Romania helped develop the BufKids Centre, an educational space for children from the vulnerable communities of Flămânzeni and Buciumeni. The centre provides educational support, after-school activities and a safe place where children can learn, grow and thrive.
The project was later expanded with the construction of a dining hall and additional spaces for educational activities, ensuring that children receive both learning support and a nutritious daily meal. Developed in partnership with local authorities, the Hercules Association and hundreds of volunteers, BufKids shows that investing in stronger communities begins with investing in children.
Following the devastating floods in Galați and Broșteni, hundreds of families lost their homes and the sense of security that a home provides. Habitat for Humanity Romania responded by supporting affected communities with emergency assistance, building materials, home repairs and long-term housing solutions.
In total, 669 people received direct support, and 57 homes were rebuilt or repaired. But our work went beyond rebuilding homes. We worked alongside communities to strengthen their resilience and help them prepare for future disasters, guided by the Build Back Better principle—rebuilding safer, stronger and more sustainably.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Habitat for Humanity Romania built the Moinești Emergency Response Centre, providing healthcare professionals with a modern and safe facility from which to deliver essential emergency services. The new building replaced an outdated and inadequate facility, strengthening the community’s capacity to respond to emergencies.
Today, the centre serves around 65,000 people across 11 communities and provides appropriate working conditions for 34 doctors, nurses and ambulance staff responding to emergencies every day. Built together with our partners and donors, the project shows how investing in community infrastructure helps create safer, healthier and more resilient communities.
From the earliest days of the war in Ukraine, Habitat for Humanity Romania has supported refugee families arriving in Romania in search of safety. From emergency assistance and housing support to long-term housing solutions, we have helped families find the stability and security they need to rebuild their lives.
One of our most significant projects was the renovation of the Edmond Nicolau Centre in Bucharest, an unused public building transformed into a safe and dignified place for people seeking refuge. Today, the centre provides not only accommodation, but also access to social services, counselling and integration support.
Habitat’s social housing programme supported 363 refugees, while the Edmond Nicolau Centre provided safe accommodation for 986 people and integration services to more than 1,500 refugees.
Together with our partners, we demonstrated that a home is more than a roof over your head -it is the first step towards safety, dignity and a new beginning.
Following the explosion in Bucharest’s Rahova neighbourhood, hundreds of people were affected and dozens of families lost their homes. Together with our partners and donors, Habitat for Humanity Romania responded by providing temporary accommodation and long-term housing solutions for 28 of the 53 evacuated families.
Through a social rental housing model and tailored support for relocated families, the project helped restore safety and stability to the affected community, demonstrating that access to housing is the first step towards recovery after a crisis.
