Take 5 Annual Event Update: School Aid Romania

Please see below some information of how the money raised in Mary Queen of Peace PS has been used to support the work of the School Aid Romania charity.

School Aid Romania was founded in the early 90s as a cross-community school based charity. In 1994, Mr Jim McQuaid had the opportunity to go to Romania with a group from his school and the following year he became the leader of his school group. He travelled every year in that role until 2021 when, due to Covid, all visits were suspended.

School Aid Romania has helped establish the Sunshine Foundation and a house in Brasov City was purchased. This house was called Casa Sf Maria. After that, an old house with a large garden was purchased in the village of Harman just outside Brasov. A new purpose-built house was built in the garden called Casa Sf Patrick. The initial residents from Casa Sf Maria moved into this house and younger children (from different orphanages) moved into Casa Sf Maria. New self-contained accommodation called Casa Irlanda was later built directly behind the old original house on the site. The young people living in Patrick moved into this; with the children from Maria replacing them in Patrick; and new children moving into Maria.

School Aid Romania has also supported families living in Comona.

The overall aim of the Sunshine Foundation and School Aid Romania is to provide a normal family life for the young people who experienced the horrors of life in an orphanage. School Aid Romania is also committed to supporting the education of these young people with the help of one teacher, Roxana Rusu, from the Special School.

This year, the staff and children of MQP took part in our Take 5 annual fundraising event, a sponsored walk with all proceeds going to School Aid Romania. With your generosity, a massive £2385 raised in total. This money was handed over to Jim, now a trustee with School Aid Romania, before he left for his annual trip to Brasov.

Jim flew from Dublin on 21 February 2024 and went directly to the Special School to deliver much needed toys and Zerox paper (cannot afford books), purchased with money our children had raised.

In the afternoon, Jim went to a 21st birthday party for Catalin, in Casa Irlanda in the village of Harman. The birthday cake and treats were bought with the money our children raised. This was Catalin’s first ever birthday party.

On Friday 23 February morning, Jim visited the Down's Syndrome Centre followed by a trip to McDonald’s with the young people. Then it was time for a shopping trip for the twenty five families in Comona village to buy the cleaning materials and supplies for the Sacale Old People’s Home. With the money raised, Jim also purchased two paddling pools to be filled with soft balls for the Therapy Centre.

The following day, Saturday 24 February 2024, Jim and the group stopped at another Lidl to buy basic food supplies: staples of pasta, salami, biscuits and bread. They also bought sweets and chocolate for a man called Vasile who now lives in Comona with his family in a small house built by School Aid Romania. Vasile was one of the very first orphans to move into Sf Maria. This was the first time the group had been able to visit Comona and Vasile in four years.

Vasile (pictured with his mum), was delighted with his bag of goodies. Jim also visited three young adults who grew up in Casa Irlanda but are now living independently, working or in education and hoping to go to university. He used some of the money our children raised to give them a little help towards their mortgage/rent. The final contribution we made was to help purchase a pram, nappies and wipes for Simona’s little boy who is one year and two months old and some stationery for the little girl. Simona and her family also live in Comona village.

This was all made possible as a result of your generosity and the money raised by the MQP children. We, as a staff, are extremely proud of our children and the support we have been able to provide to School Aid Romania and the people they have been helping for years. Once again thank you all very much!

Mrs O'Mullan

PDMU Co-ordinator