I became a trustee of the charity in December 2004, so I decided I needed to go to Romania to see for myself what was involved. All plans seem fine if they are far enough in advance but as the time approached I found myself feeling rather apprehensive.

My first impression of Romania as I crossed the border from Hungary was that everything could do with a lick of paint. The main road had recently been metalled, thanks to EU money but all other roads are rubble and grit. Houses were crumbling and the quality and style of the flats in the towns was poor.

On arrival in the small town of Teius, in Transylvania, I was exhausted by the two-day drive but the welcome I received at the apartment of our two full time emplyees, Ana and Grigore instantly lifted my spirits. A feeling of well being that stayed with me throughout my time in Romania. Their love for each other and their 3 children, 2 of whom are fostered, extended to provide a friendly and relaxed home for me as a visitor.

I saw the progress of building work at the Fundatia house. The family living space on the ground floor will soon be usable, the connection of the septic tank being the critical requirement. The basement will be used as a youth centre with table tennis, pool table. The lounge at the front of the house currently has the table tennis table in it and was being used regularly by young people, this acts as an advertisement for the centre to all passers by.

On Saturday I met some of the young people at their regular youth club events. They have a series of groups, arranged throughout the day for different ages. I met our third paid leader Lacra, she is also training to be a teacher. Some of the older children volunteer to help with the younger groups.

Some of the children attending were gypsies. Apparently it is quite unusual for gypsies to mingle with other Romanians in this way but we successfully encourage an acceptance of all comers.

On Sunday I went to a Baptist church in the village of Cornesti. The bumpy drive there highlighted how isolated some villages in Romania are. Three hours is a long time to sit through a church service at the best of times but particularly so when you don't understand the language. Nevertheless parts of it were interesting for being so different. The men and women sat on different sides of the church. However this segregation really only applied to the older members of the church; it seemed that there were more people, including all the children, who sat in the front section of the church as part of the choir and musical accompaniment. There were many mandolins with some violins and guitars.

Church was followed by a very good lunch with the Rusu family and most of their 13 children. Their father was away working in construction in Spain. The 2 eldest boys are students and go out there for agricultural work in the summer. As a result the family seem relatively secure financially, one daughter is a teacher, hopefully the others will also find jobs after school. With 13 children, the wages from Spain are vital but 13 children also need a father. Employment is needed so much within Romania.

I visited another large family, for whom life is not going so well. The father was made redundant when the local sugar beet factory closed. The older children have not been able to find regular work. They are surviving on monthly payments and food parcels from the Fundatia. Like many rural Romanians they have a small plot of land and live as traditional peasant farmers. They keep chickens and will harvest vegetables in the summer but this is not enough to survive. The younger ones are at secondary school but find it hard to concentrate and suffer with headaches and sight problems, they know that this is due to calcium and vitamin deficiencies. They seem bright but the temptation is to leave school and get a job to alleviate the immediate difficulties. One of the daughters, Michaela spoke good English and would like to work as an au pair, I have investigated the possibilities for her and in theory it would be a good opportunity. The sticking point is the travel costs that an au pair is expected to fund herself.

We stopped at orphanages on two occasions. Visitors are, quite rightly, not able to go in without prior arrangement. Grigore is a regular visitor and leads activities for the children. Young people leaving orphanages are particularly vulnerable and the top floor of the Fundatia house will be used for sheltered accommodation.

I thoroughly enjoyed a lovely sunny day in a remote mountainous village. The initial purpose was to take three donated PC's to the school. Accompanied by the Mayor, we went for a walk over the hills to inspect a campsite, well a field actually. We all agreed that the view over the mountains would make it a remarkable place to hold our annual children's summer camp, but as I was told often about things in Romania you need "papers". This is an example of something that can be achieved eventually but persistence and determination are required. This belief or "can do" attitude is something that has been worn away in some Romanians by the endless hard work. Life under communism did not give scope for initiative and personal achievement. One of the objectives of the Fundatia is to feed and maintain the hopes and beliefs that all young people start life with.

Romania lives with the legacy of harder times. Women that I regarded as old ladies were probably only in their fifties. Many people suffer from arthritis as a result of being cold when younger.

Romanians have emerged from Ceausescu's times and are very conscious that their country has progressed since his downfall in 1989. They hope for continued development and a better outlook for their children. They eagerly anticipate joining the EU in January 2007. I was invited to share meals with many families and was treated as an honoured guest. At times I felt humbled because the gratitude expressed to me was rather more than my efforts deserved. I suppose that in some ways I was received as a representative of everybody that has given support.

My objective as a trustee in visiting Romania was to ascertain that the charity work carried out was suitable for the local needs and that it was being carried out effectively. Having come to more understanding of the rural Romanian life I think that the Fundatia provides a suitable blend of material support and spiritual and emotional inspiration to encourage Romanians to find their own way forward. All the work carried out in Romania is carried out by Romanians, this includes youth work by Grigore and Lacra, administration and supervision of building work by Ana. The three regular employees all impressed me with their personal commitment to young people. Romanian contractors carry out building work. Other leaders at camp are on a voluntary basis. My conclusion is that a great deal is carried out on a small budget.

On a personal note my trip was a fantastic experience. I have always enjoyed visiting other countries and seeing Romania as a guest was a fine opportunity. I enjoyed seeing the mountains and the rural scenery; horse drawn carts were commonplace on the streets as were flocks of sheep. I was envious of some aspects of Romanian life. The food I ate was all home cooked and locally produced, often by the person serving it. I could see the bonds that existed between large families that still all live within walking distance. I observed how the lack of traffic allowed the children to have great freedom to play outside and come and go, as they like.

Back home my family say they managed fine without me. However any hopes that my teenage daughters might carry on being useful around the house have since been dashed.