In the Matra COP project, practical community work projects are very important to demonstrate the method, to encourage the residents, to give social workers the opportunity to show their engagement, to involve local social welfare services, to offer the students opportunities to gain practical experience and to promote community organization in Poland.
Matra Cop initated and/or adopted a total of 7 community work projects in 4 towns in Poland: 3 in Gdansk, 2 in Potegowo, 1 in Poznan and 1 in Wrzesnia. Here is an overview of the history and state of affairs of those projects.
1. Gdansk-Wrzeszcz - Elderly
This is Matra COP's oldest community work project, initiated by project developer/social worker Danuta Czapla-Kierbel and implemented by her and her colleagues of the MOPS team (MOPS=Municipal Social Service) in the Gdansk district of Wrzeszcz.
Goal of the project, that started in October/November 1998, is preventing the isolation of the elderly, mobilising them to meet their needs and stimulating them to act for the benefit of their living area.
Description
: The
project is addressed to the growing group of elderly in the Gdańsk district of
Wrzeszcz. Generally in Poland the elderly are those who carry the costs of the
country's transformation processes. In consequence they are pessimistic,
depressive and passive. They lack social contacts and attractive recreational
possibilities. Mobilising them to organise and act to change their life
situation helps to overcome the stereotype that being old is synonym of
failure, illness and dependency on others.
Approach/method : The community work was carried out in stages from November 1998 and is very successful. As a result of the efforts, the engine of the project is now formed by the elderly themselves, organised in "Klub Wrzos" ("Wrzos" means: "Herfstasters" in Dutch language). This growing independence is "part of the community work game": goal is a fully independent operating "Klub Wrzos" from July 2001.
Activities
from March to November 2000:
- celebrations of the first anniversary of the Wrzos club
and of the international women's day,
- birthday and name's day celebrations
-
organisation
of a meeting about crime prevention. Subjects: unsafety,
robbery of elderly,
prevention)
- organizing study visits of Dutch students in the framework
of Matra
COP's students exchange
-
organising Easter
breakfast for the poor
- joint event with members of the soldiers veterans
club
- organizing a meeting of patriotic songs singing
- dancing evenings
- meeting with authorities of the pensioners union
- excursions to Przegalino, to Licheń, to the Zoo
and a boat excursion
- regular Wednesday meetings
- excursion for blackberries picking
- taking part in two radio programmes about the
elderly
-
help at the funeral of one of the members
- activating club meetings after holiday break,
- taking part in the recording of a programme about the elderly for Polish TV,
- going to Warsaw, to record 2nd part of the TV program, visiting TV building and the Old Town,
- taking part in the meeting of representatives of
clubs of elderly in Gdansk,
- help at preparing two mushroom picking excursions,
- meeting with Dutch consultants in October
- introduction of new club members
The Wrzos club is getting bigger and stronger and
offers an increasing number of activities for the senior citizens of the
district. The club, that wants to break through the isolation of their age
group and to improve the life situation in the district, meet regularly and
plans and carries out new activities. As one can read from this and former
reports, Klub "Wrzos" is becoming an even national known example of
"good community work practice".
National prize
: In December 2000 the social work team from Gdansk-Wrzeszcz in Gdansk
has got a reward from the Polish Ministry of
Labour and Social
Affairs for their "community activity", meaning support for the
elderly organization Wrzos and Mrs. Dunajska's project plan for training
volunteers (see chapter 3.2.5.) There were ten such rewards nation-wide and of
course many willing "contributors" to the success. The role of Matra
COP was adequately mentioned in the application.The meeting
on November 24, 2000, held on that occasion and attended by representatives of
different social welfare institutes in Gdańsk, was actually used to
promote Community Organization and the Matra COP project.
Actors involved are divided in "partners", meaning the Wrzeszcz team of Social Work, the management of MOPS Gdańsk, Gdansk School of Social Work, the Matra COP team and the Dutch consultants, and in "allies": the district committee, councillors, local media, Radio Gdańsk, primary school no 45, "Miniatura" theatre, the police and city police, sponsors.
Matra COP supervisor is Danuta Czapla-Kierbel
2.
Gdansk-Orunia - Activity Platform
The Matra
COP initiative to unite key persons and officials in an alliance for this
neighbourhood in decline, succeeded in the foundation and official court registration
of the organization called "The Association for local initiatives
Orunia" in October 1999.
Initiators and implementers
are activeresidents of the district and representatives of some insttutes
functioning there - the parish, the disabled centre, the local Secondary School
and members of Matra COP team M.Szady and P.Oniszczuk
Goal
is to create a
platform of people and institutions in the neighbourhood of lower Orunia and
organise activities to improve the life situation and to change the image of
the neighbourhood in a positive way. The forming of the association is meant to
facilitate the co-operation of the institutes in the districts, will voice
neighbourhood problems and give the groups of residents a legal body for more
successful actions and support. The association enables active residents and
workers to pursue other non-statutory activities and offer support to any group
in the neighbourhood wishing to organise for their own interest.
Description : So called lower Orunia is a neighbourhood in decline which, despite excellent activity of some institutes, residents consider neglected and lacking attention of the city authorities. There was a need for co-operation of the institutes working in and for Orunia and a need for co-ordination and exchange of information between/and among them.
Preparatory phase: from March 1999
- Association establishing meeting was held on June 16, 1999
- Official registration: October 4, 1999
- Foundation AA club: October1999
-
Choosing the board/ beginning of the association independent activity: 14
January 2000
The official meeting of the association was held:
choosing the chairman, the committee and taking resolutions. The meeting was
followed by a programme meeting where directions of the activities were
planned, including local fundraising.
Approach/method
: The
initiating work by Matra COP staff was carried out in the following stages:
1. getting to know the neighbourhood by
different methods, especially contacting key persons individually,
2. organising
the several meetings of the key persons from the neighbourhood,
3. meetings
result in the decision to establish the association, work on preparing the establishing
meeting and the rules of the association,
4. informing
about the meeting (posters, invitations) and the meeting
5. supporting the committee work on the official
registration,
6. supporting some of the initiatives of engaged
people and institutions - family festival, idea of doing something for
the alcoholics,
7. upon registration electing of the association
board,
The association is independent. The activity of Matra
COP is directed at supporting its efforts to get more members, help in some
events and especially helping groups that would like to act within the organisation
to meet and solve their needs.
Activities
from March-November 2000:
Various
initiatives were initiated and/or supported by Matra COP:
- study visits of the Dutch students in the framework of Matra COP's students-exchange
- helping in preparing documents for
grants to organise family festival in Orunia
- support for AA club in Orunia. A club that functions
as an example for others in Gdansk.
- contributing to the
organisation of the Orunia family festival in June, 2000
- preparing and publishing the May issue of the Orunia
newsletter
- assisting the association of parents of disabled
children, acting in Orunia,
- organizing
the Neighbourhood
manifestation (presentations, dance and shows) on Monday,
October 9, 2000 in Orunia's "Dom Kultura" (part of Matra COP's
October Promotion Tour).
Actors
involved: Day Care
Centre for the Disabled in Nowiny street, two local schools, Dom Kultura,
Orunia Park Association, Local Parish, Social Workers: R.Szulkowski,
Małgorzata Kwapisiewicz and Dorota Czernik.
Supervision: Danuta Czapla-Kierbel, helped by Małgorzata Szady
3. Smetowo Graniczne / Kopytkowo - community centre
On request of one of Matra COP's institutional
partners: the WOPSOZPU (Healthcare and Welfare department of
Pomorskie province), Matra COP invited two Dutch community workers: Folkert
Bouma and Rian Meerstra of Stichting De
Ploeg (regional welfare institute in Opsterland, Friesland)
for consultation and advice to the village of Kopytkowo in Pomorskie Province.
The two Dutch workers, who went there in November
1999, developed a workable idea, accepted and supported by the local social
workers and authorities, to establish a community centre annex day care centre,
partly runned by disabled people, with a wide offer of social cultural
activities for the community. An appropriate unused building is still there.
Back home, Stichting De
Ploeg adopted the idea and the Dutch community workers did
their part of the agreed job. They managed to interest two Dutch institutions for mentally disabled people for the project idea, willing to help in
different material- and non material ways.
Despite of these efforts and several E-mails to Kopytkowo, the local Polish partners were not able to do their part of the job. This resulted in the reasonable and understandable decision of De Ploeg to stop further involvement with Kopytkowo.
4. Potęgowo-Zochowo -"Przełamac Bierność" (1st prize in Pomorskie contest)
The name
of the project,"Przełamac
Bierność", means: "to overcome passiveness". The
project is realised in the village of Żochowo in Potegowo commune
Initiators and implementers
are social
worker Daria Bilińska of GOPS (=Social Service) Potęgowo and active
citizens.
Goal
of the project is to change
the patterns of leisure time spending in the rural area, by building up closer
contacts between the residents and developing culture and local traditions.
Description : The project is addressed to the residents of villages in the Potegowo commune. The loss and decline of uniting local traditions, and little access to culture, is often combined with feelings of boredom and occasional socially unacceptable behaviour. Among the various activities of the project, some are especially notionable: the foundation of a people's cabaret group, bringing the people together, entertaining them and fighting bad habits. The project has a territorial character and envisages participation and financial support of the local authorities.
Started
May 2000
Actors
involved: social
workers from GOPS Potęgowo, councillors and village representatives of the
state administration ("Sołtys")
Activities
organised so far involve:
- selection
of the youth and children from pathological families;
- organising
pathology-preventing activities for this group;
- engaging
the group in the work for the village, such as: tiding up the basket court,
cutting
bushes and preparing an open air recreation place,
- engaging
the youth in care-taking of the recreation place,
- creation of the traditions integrating the community like: "Spring in Żochowo" (spring cleaning, contests and bonfire), day of
the mother and child, music & games for children and
volleyball match; harvest festival
According to
the organisers they experience many, often unpredictable, odds and the timing
of the planned activities has to be adjusted already. Nevertheless: the
activities have started and are carried out.
Matra COP supervisor is Małgorzata Szady, supported by P.Oniszczuk.
5. Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz - "Pospolite Ruszenie" (2nd prize in Pomorskie contest)
The name
of the project, "Pospolite
Ruszenie", means: "Common motion"
Initiator
is social
worker Anna Dunajska. The implementation will be done by her and her colleagues
of MOPS team based in Wrzeszcz at 2 Wasowskiego street.
Goal
of the
project is to contribute to local community development by organising a
voluntary work centre
Description
: a
centre of voluntary work would bring together the demand for help of elderly,
disabled and sick people with the supply side of those who want to work on
voluntary basis for the people in need. The project contains an educational
offer for the would-be voluntary workers.
Activities
: the project is in the preparatory phase. The project
plan is ready, MOPS Gdansk promised initiator Dunajska a full-time contract for
project related activity, the initial contacts are made and a place for the
activities is available.
The
following activities are planned for January and February 2001:
- presenting
the project to the actors in the district of Wrzeszcz;
- starting
co-operation with the Gdansk Centre of Voluntary Work and learning about their
work;
- taking part
in the training in the work with voluntary workers;
- preparing
and equipping the office;
-
recruitment and registration of voluntary workers;
-
inventarisation of those in need of voluntary workers help;
Further activities envisaged are: starting co-operation with media and other institutes, looking for sponsors, continue work with voluntary workers, introduction of subprojects.
Start: May 2000 on a voluntary, informal base. The formal start will be on January 15 when a separate full time (42 hours ) contract will be given by Gdańsk MOPS to Mrs Dunajska.
Duration
from May 2000/January 2001 to
August 2001
Actors
involved: MOPS Gdańsk, Team of
Social Work in Wrzeszcz, councillors from the district, NGO's
Matra COP supervisor: Małgorzata Szady, supported by P.Oniszczuk.
6. Potęgowo-Rzechcino - "Nadzieja" (3rd prize in Pomorskie contest)
The name
of the project, "Nadzieja",
means "Hope". It is realised in the village of Rzechcino in the
Potęgowo commune
Initiators and implementers
aresocial worker Alina Wożniakof GOPS Potęgowo and active citizens
Goal
of the
project is to change the patterns of leisure time spending in the rural area,
to stop cultural degradation of the village and to contribute to
re-socialisation of youth from pathological families, by the foundation of a
community centre offering activities and stimulating further initiatives..
Description
: the
project is addressed to the residents of the village of Rzechcino in the
Potegowo commune. Social problems of the village are typical for Polish
villages where the State Owned Farms collapsed: unemployment, helplessness,
frustration and growing social pathologies. The conversion of a little former
water heating plant into a community centre will facilitate further activities.
The variety of activities described in detail in the project plan puts an
emphasis on work with the youth.
The activities
organised so far
are:
- community events and festivals, prepared by the people from the village which integrate the local community;
- co-operation with the Commune Committee for Solving Alcohol Related Problems. Starting from February 2001 the activities
in "a therapeutic ward" will be run for the youth from pathological families;
- the completion of the conversion of a little old heating plant building into a village meeting place is in full progress. A part of the
rooms is already in use, though not completely furnished;
- founding of the association
"Our beautiful village of Rzechcino";
- applying of the association for
funds to the Voivode (=Province) and getting money for carpets, chairs and
tables.
- collection, from different sources, of books for the library point at the place.
Start i
n April 2000
Actors
involved are social workers from GOPS Potęgowo,
councillors, village representatives of the state administration
("Sołtys") and local businessmen,
Matra COP supervisor is Małgorzata Szady, supported by P.Oniszczuk.
7. Poznan-Glowna - Activating local community (1st price Wielkopolski contest)
The name
of this project is "Aktywizacja
spolecznosci lokalnej rejonu Glowna". This means in
English language: Activating local community Poznan-Glowna district.
Initiators and implementers
are Anna Banaszak-Dankowska and Aleksandra Kowalska, social workers from MOPR
(Social Service Poznan region)
Goal
of the
project is to create a self support system in Glowna district in Poznan, by
organising all actors and generate social power to solve the problems and
initiate development of the local community.
Description
: the
project is addressed to the residents of Glowna district in Poznan. Its aim is to
improve the living conditions of the people from this district. The
project has a territorial character and functions as a clear example of
neighbourhood work in an urban area.
Activities
The community work was and is carried out in the
following steps:
1. Search of subjects of co-operation
2. Organising information actions for inhabitants in
purpose to stroke interest for project (posters, media).
3. Organising meetings with residents.
4. Creating an initiative group.
5. Realisation of tasks, organising the initiative to
solve existing problems in the community.
6. Organising integration meetings of community,
looking for allies.
7. Contacting schools and finding people who want to
be active for the district
Start preparatory
phase from June 2000
Actors involved are social workers Karolina Bartkowiak and Karolina Grodzicka, primary school no. 45, Parish Roman-Catholic Church, students and teachers of Poznan School of social work, police, local media: Radio RMF FM, Merkury and Eska, and the newspapers “Glos Wielkopolski”, “Gazeta Poznanska”, "Gazeta Wyborcza" and "Gazeta Wielkopolska”.
8. Wrzesnia - Organizing youngsters (2nd price Wielkopolski contest)
The name
of the project is "Dzialajac
razem-osiagniemy wiecej. Mlodziez dla spolecznosci Wrzesni, spolecznosc dla
mlodziezy Wrzesni", meaning: "Youth for local community and local
community for youth". A nice two sided name for mutual social involvement,
expressing willingness from the youngsters not only to ask and to take, but
also to do and to give.
Initiators and implementers
arestudent Hubert Sommerrey and social worker Renata Puszczewicz
Goal
of the
project is to create the Local Association of Youth “Przystan” that can voice
youth
problems, realize local facilities for youngsters and
can give groups of youngsters a legal body to negotiate and co-operate with
institutes. One of the actual targets is the creation of a Youth Centre in 44
Fabryczna street in Wrzesnia.
Description:
an own, local Youth Association would assure free time activities for youth,
can provide them with a location where they can realise own ideas and active
involvement into social activities. There is need and willingness for co-operation
and exchange amongst local youngsters. The project also contains an educational
offer for the voluntary workers.
Activities:
The project
is in the implementation phase. A variety of activities is done and still going
on. Main event was a hugh local meeting about problems and wishes of local
youngsters on November 23, 2000 in Dom Kultura, visited by 450 local
youngsters, local authorities, a member of parliament, representatives of
institutes, Dutch and Polish Matra COP staff and journalists.
Start
preparatory
phase from June 2000.
Actors
involved are Renata
Puszczewicz, local schools, Poznan School of Social Work, police, councillors,
social workers, local media.
Supervisor
is Matra COP's social worker Renata Puszczewicz
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