Built by Orphans for Orphans:

The “ARC House” placement family center will shelter 12 young people from traditional orphanages.

Beius -- From June 2002 until December 2002 a team of young orphans built a house that will serve as a family placement center for 12 young orphans coming from traditional placement centers. The construction of the first modern family placement center in Romania has been carried out by Good Samaritan Beius, a non-profit organization that works “to provide disadvantaged youngsters from state and private orphanages the skills and opportunities to socially and professionally integrate into society.”

Good Samaritan Beius provided a team of 11 skilled youngsters that are part of their construction program. Aid For Romanian Children, an Irish non-profit, provided the financial support for the project. The project took off in June 2002 and less than seven months later a comfortable and modern seven bedroom house was inaugurated.

Under the supervision of a program manager, the team of orphans, between the ages of 19 and 27, has successfully built this modern facility. In addition, the kitchen cabinets, tables, chairs and beds were built in the Good Samaritan Carpentry shop, where another team of orphans is trained in carpentry.

ARC house will shelter 12 young people, between the ages of 10 and 18, who have lived until now in orphanages in town with a family in charge of supervising them. The creation of this modern family placement center is an effort to provide more individualized care for young orphans in a family environment that can stimulate their personal growth better than in traditional Romanian orphanages.

Three educators and a cook will help the “foster parents.” The youngsters will be allowed to live in the house until they reach the age of 18 or when they find a job or an adoptive family. If the youngsters continue their studies, they will be allowed to remain in the house until the age of 25.

Mr. Stefan Seremi, the president of the County Council, proudly cut the ribbon and inaugurated the ARC house on Monday, the 3rd of March. Mr. Nicu Silviu Odobasian, mayor of Beius, and Mr. Adrian Ciorna, the president of Good Samaritan Beius and executive director of Habitat for Humanity International Romania were also present at the ceremony.