Summary
Assistance to refugees is moving from the emergency phase to that of adaptation and integration.
The main objective is to help the 1,000 Ukrainian refugees gradually adapt and integrate into Polish society. At the end of the project, specific results are expected: the refugees have settled in regular apartments, are engaged in part-time or full-time jobs or self-employment, and children (2-6 years old) attend kindergarten and elementary education from 7 years old and up.
Since March 2022, CADIS, in collaboration with the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation (BTCCF) and the Camillians in Poland, has mobilized the emergency response in Poland when the Russia-Ukraine crisis broke out on February 24, 2022.
The context
It is estimated that between 1.5 and 2 million Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion reside in Poland, of whom about 1.2 million have registered for protection. About 90% of Ukrainian refugees are women and children. In the first days after the outbreak of the war, assistance to refugees in Poland was provided mainly by Polish families and households, by guesthouse and hotel owners, and by religious communities who made themselves available to provide accommodation.
In Lomianki, the Camillians transformed the seminary house into a temporary shelter for refugees. The building can accommodate up to 70 refugees. Currently, a total of 39 refugees are hosted.
In Ursus, the Camillians have incorporated their program, the care and reception of 20 Ukrainian refugees, into their social assistance program for the homeless - the St. Lazarus Guesthouse for the Homeless.
Since the opening of the two temporary shelters in Ursus and Lomianki, about 238 refugees have been assisted in our temporary accommodations. Currently, 59 refugees remain in our centers - 20 in Ursus and 39 in Lomianki.
Many of the guests in the centers intend to move and seek better opportunities in Poland or elsewhere in Europe. A significant number of them have skills, professional backgrounds, and specific interests; some of them have been given part-time jobs in our center. However, most of them will face great challenges in finding a job and stable settlement, as we are moving from the emergency response phase to that of adaptation and integration.
Description of the project objective and main activities
The main objective of this project is to help Ukrainian refugees gradually adapt and integrate into Polish society. The main donor of this phase is the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation.
Expected results (objectives)
The project foresees three specific results. At the end of the project, the Ukrainian refugees entrusted to the Camillians:
a) are settled in a regular apartment or house
b) are engaged in part-time or full-time jobs or self-employment
c) children (2-6 years old) attend kindergarten and elementary education for 7 years and over.
Expected outcomes
The expected outcomes of this project are as follows:
a) refugees have access to a fairly decent apartment or house
b) refugees have received psychosocial, mental, and health support
c) refugees have received minimum support for food and non-food items
d) refugees have learned the Polish language and culture
e) refugees have received job orientation seminars, workshops, and legal assistance
f) refugees' skills have been valued and used for alternative self-sustaining activities
g) refugees have been integrated into Poland's welfare system for social protection
h) refugee children have been enrolled in kindergarten and elementary schools
i) refugee children have received physical, medical, and mental assistance.
Input (detailed activities)
(1) Provide long-term temporary shelter for a maximum period of one year to 100 refugees (women and children or families) in Łomianki and Ursus.
(women and children or families) in Łomianki and Ursus.
The provision consists of the construction of facilities and services such as:
a) two temporary accommodations and six apartments
b) food and non-food supplies for three months
c) utilities such as electricity, gas, heating, computers, and internet
d) practical and social assistance
e) security and support staff, such as the residence coordinator, social worker, psychosocial support facilitator, food and general maintenance services.
(2) Facilitate refugees' access to the labor market to obtain part-time or full-time jobs and coworking space for qualified refugees interested in self-employment or alternative livelihood activities.
To gain access to the labor market for economic sustainability and build their own future in a foreign land, the project offers the following services:
a) Job placement orientation seminars and facilitation/assistance in submitting job applications.
b) Intensive Polish language lessons and assistance for socio-cultural adaptation for 96 hours (4 hours a week for 3 months).
c) A renovated and refurbished building for the coworking program for qualified refugees and professional livelihood activities.
d) Coworking space for qualified refugees for assistance and support activities for microenterprises such as hairdressing, cosmetology, catering, tailoring, etc.)
e) Training and assistance on microenterprise management
f) Assistance and support services (technical, practical, legal) for newcomers and other refugees living outside the Lomianki and Ursus reception centers (target: 1000 refugees)
g) Basic medical and mental health support services for adults and children.
(3) Refugee children have received maternal (2-6 years) and elementary (7 years and over) education in Lomianki and Ursus for 50 students.
In Lomianki, the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, a Catholic religious congregation of nuns, have run a kindergarten in Łomianki since 1945. When the refugees entered Poland, the school started a special program for Ukrainian children - war refugees. The children were provided with full day care (8 hours), educational lessons, and food. The sisters express their continued desire to collaborate with us.
In Ursus, children will be sent to public or private schools with the project's financial assistance for the full annual program. Otherwise, if necessary, depending on available space, they can be sent to Lomianki. Working mothers can then devote themselves to work and daily chores without worrying too much about their children.
With the programs described above, the urgent needs of Ukrainian refugees in terms of education, housing, and livelihoods can be met. In this way, Ukrainian refugees in Poland will achieve autonomy and stability.
