Gus Neilson: Joanne Law - SCDP Romania

President Scott Elliot welcomed a young lady to last week's meeting of the Rotary Club when, with an excellent illustrated talk, she highlighted the fruits of a local youth project this summer in which she participated.  Joanne Law was part of the "Sustainable Communities Development Project" which went to Romania in the summer.  The group was established in 2011 and this year's trip to Ghearge in Romania was to undertake work there to renovate a building which is being used as an agricultural college and community centre.  All the party attacked the project of repairing parts, replacing windows and giving it a general makeover which they all found most rewarding.  They held cultural evenings with the locals and proved nationality and language is not a barrier to friendship.  The town has just over 2,000 people and conditions are generally poor but rich and poor live alongside each other.  Overcrowding of housing seemed to be quite common.  The trip cost