PASTOR John Horvath is undertaking his third trip into Ethiopia to help those in need, and is calling on the community to help with donations so he can provide clothes and build houses for refugees in the country.

Pr Horvath is a director of the Adventist Development Relief Agency and a pastor at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Forrestfield.

“ADRA assists worldwide with accommodation, food and sanitation,” he said.

Alongside providing a helping hand on the African continent, Pr Horvath said he has also worked in tandem with the Salvation Army to help those in need locally as well.

For 14 years now Pr Horvath has been going to Africa and has connections with communities in Ethiopia and Sudan.

Pr Horvath said current building standards within Ethiopia are poor and severe storms frequently topple residents’ homes.

“A lot of buildings there just aren’t up to scratch…so when there’s severe storms they often collapse,” he said.

He said currently, Ethiopians were building their homes with whatever materials they could find, often relying on junk UN plastic to make a roof, and branches for their support beams.

“When we go there, we make metal roofs for them, and make it a lot stronger,” he said.

Pr Horvath said when he travels to Ethiopia with ADRA, they will provide residents with proper housing and clothing.

“A lot of kids there only have one shirt that’s full of holes and dirty,” he said.

Pr Horvath wants to take a 12m sea container full of clothes, hospital beds, books and other equipment to Ethiopia.

He encourages those wanting to help to make a tax-deductible donation to ADRA online.