The post-emergency project entitled "Rebuilding and strengthening resilience for adaptation and integration of Ukrainian refugees in Poland”, a sequel to project 2023, attempts to address the major gaps in the assistance delivered to the Ukrainian refugees.
The main goal of this project is to help refugees gradually adapt and be integrated into Polish society. This project has two specific intended outcomes: that Ukrainian refugees are (a) settled in a regular flat or apartment and (b) engaged in part-time or full-time jobs or self-entrepreneurship.
At the end of 2023, the Camillians assisted 82 refugees, including children and the elderly. On the other hand, over 11,000 refugees living outside our shelters or new arrivals received food and non-food assistance.
The nature of this second phase is to sustain the prevailing needs (jobs, shelter and healthcare) of the seventy-five (75) Ukrainian refugees (women, children, elderly) in the Camillian shelters of Ursus and Łomianki and continuous service assistance (information, food and non-food) to other 1000 refugees outside the Camillian shelters.
(1) Provide a long-term shelter to 75 refugees (women and children or families) in Łomianki and Ursus.
As of March 2024, seventy-eight (78) direct beneficiaries, including children (32 male & 46 female), are served by the project programs in Ursus (43) and Łomianki (35).
In Łomianki, the children are studying in Polish public and private schools. Most of them are resolved to stay permanently in Poland. All mothers are working. However, the salary they receive is the lowest in the country, which is a cause of concern for those who decide to migrate to Poland. Those families staying in our shelter in Łomianki have a contract for six months (until June 30, 2024), renewable for another six months.
In Ursus, we have rented 8 training apartments which are offered primarily to mothers with children. As of March 31, we had 20 guests in the apartments. They have stable jobs, and one of the refugees who is a neurologist, after a lengthy procedure with our support, obtained the recognition of her profession. The children have integrated very well with their Polish peers. They speak Polish well and receive good final grades in school. Their family life is getting normal and better.
Our housing support is also available to elderly people. Unfortunately, the elderly have difficulties learning the Polish language. They also need careful medical attention.
The administrations of both Łomianki and Ursus, along with all the staff and volunteers, ensure the smooth implementation of the entire project every day. Each staff member has well-defined roles and responsibilities.
(2) Facilitate access of refugees to the labor market to obtain part-time or full-time jobs and the coworking space for skilled refugees interested in self-employed or alternative livelihood activities
Every resident who is healthy and has the opportunity to work is motivated by the coordinator to learn the Polish language and look for a job. Still, the most significant challenges are the language competency and the lack of stable jobs available at the market. Another practical challenge is the lack of notarization of their Ukrainian diplomas and credentials. Cultural mediation support is also available to newcomers.
As of the first quarter, the coworking space Harna is being used by 52 Ukrainian women refugees. The workstations are used on a rotational basis. The manicurist station is the most popular and busy. The coworking space program is getting much interest and popularity, and requests have been made for additional locations in Warsaw. The Ukrainian refugees are showing their eagerness to harness and improve their skills. A program coordinator is assigned to the coworking space. However, due to the rising costs of maintaining the space in terms of rent and operating expenses, the coworking space is hardly self-reliant and economically sufficient using the users' financial contributions. The team is trying to find a cheaper space and secure external funding.
(3) Advisory points
The Camillians continue to operate an information and assistance point for war refugees from Ukraine at the Warsaw West and East Stations. During these three months, 10,276 people received assistance from coordinators and volunteers. Individuals in difficult financial situations approach the Ursus facility, where we provide support in the form of food-hygiene packages. Additionally, in collaboration with WHO, the Camillians conducted a program for free HIV testing for Ukrainian refugees—individuals who tested positive received detailed information about free treatment in Poland.
Conclusion
We serve an average of 71 refugees every month in Ursus and Łomianki. Some refugees have returned to Ukraine, while some are arriving at our Center. More than 30 refugees are employed or self-employed in the coworking space. The primary gaps, such as language competency (reading and writing) and secured job placement, remain challenging for various reasons. Nonetheless, considering their condition, the goal of integration and adaptation into Polish society is making much progress.
After two years of being hosted in Poland, many persons on the move remain precarious. Many people still rely on housing that is not sustainable, need humanitarian assistance to survive, struggle to find ways to improve their situation over the long term, suffer the impact of stress and trauma among children and adolescents, tensions within the Ukrainian community itself, and issues linked to protection status and labor market exploitation and discrimination (cf. IRC, 2023). CADIS and the Camillians remain committed to supporting the achievements gained in the past two years of working and accompanying people who are displaced by war.
.jpeg "CADIS Team Vietnam responded to Typhoon Yagi survivors’ appeal")
