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We support people from Ukraine
Since February 24, 2022, we have been supporting refugee people,
who escaped from the war.
What have we achieved?
After the escalation of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2023, members of the Foundation went to the Polish-Ukrainian border, where we organized transport for 350 people resettled from Ukraine to places where they were guaranteed accommodation and meals by the Pomeranian Voivode and the Świętokrzyskie Voivode. Almost 300 of them came to Tricity. We got to know these people better, supporting them in various fields, including: by organizing Polish lessons or supporting with formalities. Many and many of them have been supported by the Foundation continuously since February 2022.
Transport of 350 people from Ukraine
We organized the Friend of people from Ukraine program. What was it about? We connected a family from Ukraine with whom we cooperate with a Polish volunteer who helps people. in arranging formal matters, making an appointment with a doctor, or just spending free time together. From our previous experience, we know that such a personal approach to each person is what helps people fleeing from war find their way in a new place. We are very happy with all the relationships we have established, which are often based on mutual support from both parties.
Friend of people from Ukraine program
People escaping from a country ravaged by conflict are highly exposed to trauma. Uncertainty of one's situation, fear for loved ones, separation from family, experience of war: all this may affect the mental health of migrants.
For this reason, in cooperation with other organizations, we provided the opportunity to meet with a psychologist or psychiatrist free of charge. As part of our "Meetings without Taboo" conference in March 2023, we also organized workshops on communication and expressing your needs in Ukrainian.
Psychological support
From the beginning, teaching Polish was one of our priorities. We really wanted to ensure that both children could find their place in Polish schools and adults could find their place in the Polish labor market. We organized Polish lessons at various levels. The lessons were held periodically for 8 months. Many of the people who attended classes organized by the Foundation already speak Polish fluently. One of the high school graduates cooperating with us even passed her oral exam in Polish with 100%!
Polish lessons
In addition to providing support, we want to meet and talk to the people we work with. For this reason, we organize joint meetings around the bonfire or Christmas Eve table. In April 2023, we organized a trip to Masuria for refugee women. There was yoga, kayaking and walks, but also honest conversations on difficult topics and mutual support. A wonderful bonfire with dancing and singing Ukrainian and Polish songs is especially memorable in our hearts
Trips and meetings
We participated in a press conference in Warsaw together with the local government movement "Yes!" and other non-governmental organizations, appealing to the government and local governments to cooperate with non-governmental organizations in order to develop a long-term support system that takes into account the subjectivity of displaced people. We co-created the report of the Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Metropolis. We inform about the rights of people escaping war and appeal for changes in the government's leaky support plan.
Fight for systemic changes
We co-organized a collection for Ukraine at the Faculty of Law of the University of Gdańsk. We organized the transport of a truck with products requested by the local government of Hrubieszów. The products were transported to the reception point at the border. We also supported the coordination of humanitarian aid coming from Ireland. With the help of the Ukrainian Consulate in Gdańsk, all products were delivered to people from Ukraine already in Poland.
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Collections
From our experience, we see that living independently in Poland is a big challenge for many migrants. The reason is, among others, difficult situation on the housing market, as well as the fact that among people escaping from Ukraine, the largest group are large families with independent mothers, who have a hard time finding places in Polish nurseries and kindergartens. For this reason, the most important thing for us in providing support was helping to ensure that migrants could become independent. In the first months, we organized meetings that explained how to look for a job, school, kindergarten, how to obtain a PESEL number or get benefits for displaced persons in Poland. We help displaced people look for apartments or rooms for rent. We also support you in signing lease agreements and provide loans for the required deposit
Support in becoming independent
From the beginning of the war, a major challenge for both private individuals who wanted to make their rooms or apartments available, as well as for people escaping from Ukraine, was to ensure the safety of both sides. Due to the great solidarity shown by Poles, many people managed to stay in Polish houses.
We acted as an intermediary in this process, assisting in contact between the parties, verifying their identity, and supervising security and formalities. We managed to mediate in the provision of 16 apartments.
Providing apartments by
volunteers
The foundation rented 4 premises for people from Ukraine. As people from Ukraine find a job, responsibility for housing fees is gradually taken over. Currently, we still rent 3 premises in the Tri-City area, where about 50 people live.
Rent
4 premises
After the escalation of the war in Ukraine, the Foundation provided free food for people living in our apartments. The event took place in cooperation with World Central Kitchen. We also offer support in the form of Sodexo cards to people who could not or still cannot afford to support themselves completely.
Food
As a Foundation, we still rent 3 premises in the Tri-City area, where approximately 50 people live. We support people with children under 3 years of age financially using Sodexo cards. We are looking for more apartments, offering mediation and assistance to both parties in the rental processes.
What are we still trying to fight?
.
Housing discrimination
.
Transferring responsibility to non-governmental organizations
.
Unexpected legislative changes
Want to learn more? Read:
Activities in cooperation with:
- Pomeranian Voivodeship Office
- World Central Kitchen
- Humanity in Action
- Aid from Ireland
- Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Metropolitan Area
- Caritas
- Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk
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