"Timisul de Sus" ACT YMCA National Camp
TOF 96-04
The mountain village of Timisul de Sus is 150 kilometres from Bucharest. Camps were held there from 1927 to 1948 when the YMCA was closed down by the government. In 1991 the YMCA was once again officially recognised and its property restored. A caretaker was appointed in 1996 and a camp director started work in 1997.
When fully functional the centre will provide leadership development, specialised field studies, environmental activities, sports and outdoor activities. In the meantime toilets and showers need to be installed, general repairs and decorating done and furniture, kitchen and sleeping equipment provided.
Two international work camps were held in 1997, with participants from England in the first and from Germany in the second. In addition to doing a lot of hard renovation work in the chalets, the participants also had bible studies and explored the surrounding region. Despite mixed weather and rough living conditions there was strong team spirit and great fun.
Seminars, camps and tourism are not enough to enable the centre to survive because most Romanians are too poor to pay $12 a day for camp and foreign visitors are too few, so it is hoped to start some separate production enterprise to generate income for the running costs of the centre.
© 2001 Y's Men International Headquarters, Geneva,
Switzerland
Last modified: June 8, 2001