A registered charity with no paid workers the group operates in the main from the Methodist Mission in Crawford Square in Derry and has been in existence since the collapse of the former Ceausescu regime in Romania.

The group sends up to ten loads of aid to Romania each year together with voluntary workers such as builders, painters, plumbers, electricians, care workers, dentists and students who get involved with particular projects. They work with local groups and with the statutory bodies in AID's clinics, orphanages, churches and villages.

Three years ago the Rosemount Resource Centre were helping the group with fund-raising and gathering material for the orphanages in the Brasov and Fagaras districts of Romania when we were invited to send a team over to help with the children and a Mental Hospital. A group of six went and since then Centre personnel have visited Romania on five occasions.

The main emphasis of our work to date has been to assist the North West Romanian Relief Fund provide resources for orphanages. As part of this effort we have developed a small network of families connected to the Centre who sponsor a child each to come to Ireland for a short holiday. We also use the Centres network to collect items such as bedding, medicines or money as required.

Since the refurbishment of the Centre we have been able to give the Fund an office and telephone facilities and hope to integrate their activities even more with the wider community development issue.

We believe this project is a means of looking beyond our own immediate problems and borders and allows us to take a broader European view of community development and to challenge any inherent tendency towards racism or xenophobia.

Project 2001

The aim of Project 2001 is to raise money from individuals and from business to assist in the completion of an orphanage in Fagaras which will house up to 125 young girls.

If you would like to help please send your donation to: