Step forward
Start date: Jun 17, 2014,
End date: Nov 16, 2015
PROJECT
FINISHED
Project ?Step forward? took place in Krakow and in Tychy. Kraków is one of the oldest cities in Poland. Tychy is an industrial city located in the southern Poland in Silesia region. Tychy are known for its natural surroundings, proximity to forests gives the character of a ?green city?. Seven volunteers took part in the project, 2 from Spain, and 1 from Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The youngest one was 22 years old and the oldest one was 27. They were people with different kind of life and social experience. The volunteers worked in: a) Gaudium et Spes Association: Occupational Therapy Workshop, which is a day time care center for mentally disadvantaged people. b)?Siemacha? Association - centres which use a wide variety of methods to help young people from dysfunctional families to develop themselves. strengthen the mutual trust, social ties and civic engagement, sense of responsibility and others; c) Special Education School, consisting of the primary school, junior high and high schools in which pupils with severe mental and combined disabilities are provided with special education to help adopt them to work; d) Social Integration Center (CIS) in Tychy. CIS is an institution where the beneficiaries are those who for various reasons are socially excluded and due to their life situation are not able to meet their basic necessities of life on their own efforts. Centre is using a variety of methods of assistance and support to beneficiaries, who are involved in reintegration activities and professional activation activities (workshops and training).
The project focused on the concept of Active Citizenship at local, national and international levels. We put special attention to general values and dispositions that can be associated with active democratic citizenship including respect for justice, democracy and the rule of law, openness, tolerance, courage to defend a point of view and a willingness to listen to, work with and stand up for others. Volunteers gained sufficient preparation for work with people endangered by social exclusion and unemployment. They learned about various dysfunctions and problems of the beneficiaries in order to improve their quality of life and encourage independence. One of the aim of the projects was to encourage active participation in the community - involvement in voluntary activities or engaging to play a part in the decision-making process that affect youth so that they can make conscious decisions. We were also encouraging young people to use mobility projects and to work in existing structures on the basis of principles such as equality, inclusiveness, diversity and social justice. The effects of the project include the knowledge related to the activities of the Centres; newly developed skills such as: making decision, taking responsibility, teamwork, obeying deadlines, sensitivity to the problems of others - the vulnerable and marginalized people, development of own initiatives and entrepreneurship. IB Polska provided Polish language course for foreigners to support volunteers to improve their communication skills. Volunteers were supported by mentors and project coordinator. The project lasted 17 months and the volunteers activities - 10.