European Social Fund in Poland: Best Practices - Europejski ...

» “The more projects like this, the better. Approximately thirty percent
of Polish village leaders are women. They can be pragmatic,
businesslike, and avoid political conflicts. Participating in similar projects
is an enormous opportunity for them to develop, also for
the benefit of their communities”, Joanna Iwanicka emphasizes.
125 active women were involved in the project, some of whom were
village leaders, village leaders’ wives, council members, members
of associations and informal groups. They came from four provinces
of western, eastern and central Poland: Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lubelskie,
Wielkopolskie and Mazowieckie.
The project was implemented between 2006 and 2008. It included
a range of training, personal counselling and study trips. A legal
advice service was available to render written replies to the various
queries the participants submitted.
“I got the questionnaire and a copy of Gazeta Sołecka at the commune
office. I filled it in and I qualified”, says Barbara Kobylarz,
village leader, council member, and head of the voluntary fire brigade
in Mokre (Radzymin, Mazowsze). “In the application I wrote that
I would particularly like to learn about the methods of fund raising.
The project has fulfilled my expectations. Part of my involvement
was to write an application for the Village Development Foundation
to receive grants for Mokre Remembers project, to commemorate
Walter, an army officer who was killed in Mokre during the war
of 1920. We got the grant. I would like to involve our people in other
ideas and events, too.”
Anna Konwińska, village leader in Panigródz (Gołańcz, Wielkopolska),
learnt of the project from labour office personnel. “New training
courses always bring about new challenges, and I love challenges!”
she says. “Now that my children have grown up, I can enjoy
something new. The project has given me a lot, I have learnt how
to seek funding and use the Internet in my daily life. I have also had
the chance to strengthen my self-esteem, to overcome my stage
fright. In the village we are all very close to one another, we like
acting together and enjoy our shared accomplishments. I will be glad
to attend another project of this type. I have been thinking of establishing
my own private business, but that is a secret for now.” ◗
Ilona Matysiak,
koordynator projektu (FRDL):
Nie spodziewałam się aż tylu znakomitych
pomysłów i tylu nowych przyjaźni
między uczestniczkami. To może nawet
cenniejsze niż liczba zaliczonych szkoleń
Ilona Matysiak,
project coordinator, FLDD:
The number of excellent ideas and new relationships
between the participants has been fantastic
and surprising. And that is perhaps more important
than the number of training courses attended
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