Poland
Making a difference for disabled girls and children in foster care
We participated in Mandela Day for the fourth year, and the team from Aspen Poland chose to support two worthy causes, one being the pupils of the Sisters of St Jadwiga Nursing Home in Pielgrzymowice.
The Home, run by nuns, looks after ninety disabled girls, aged 10 to 25. Most of them live at the Home permanently, with only a few using the facility on a temporary basis. Their intellectual disabilities are often accompanied by physical limitations. These pupils require rehabilitative care on an ongoing basis with treatment provided by professional centers.
During July 2021, 30 of the girls were scheduled to visit the Skowronek Rehabilitation Center at the Didactic and Scientific Institute. V. Priessnitz in Głuchołazy. Grateful, the Home and many caregivers were able to obtain funds to finance the admission and treatments costs for the pupils from local sponsors. Unfortunately, one sponsor unexpectedly withdrew their financial support which equated to approximately US$850 to cover the costs of transport to the treatment facility for the pupils. We swiftly came to the aid of the pupils, and we sponsored the transport for the patients in collaboration with the Director of the Home as one of our Mandela Day activities.
We arranged a rare opportunity for the children to visit the Wroclaw Zoo with some of them being utternly delighted to see wild animals for the first time.
As part of our second Mandela Day activity, we arranged a rare opportunity for the children from the District Family Assistance Center. They enjoyed a wonderous trip to the Wrocław Zoo.
The center assists children who are partially or totally deprived of care and who are in foster families and educational institutions. Due to a lack of funds, these children are unfortunately robbed of the opportunity to participate in trips and activities that many take for granted.
As a result of our Mandela Day initiative, many of the children saw wild animals from all over the world for the first time and learnt basic information about them. Our team actively participated in guiding children around the Zoo, and we arranged special carts for the younger ones which they thoroughly enjoyed. Wroclaw Zoo is the oldest facility of its kind in Poland. It was established in 1865 and occupies 33 hectares of land so there was no room for boredom. We also had the opportunity to eat lunch together and then enjoy a special ice cream treat.
Without a doubt it was a great time for both the children and the volunteers from Aspen Poland. We were all able to recharge with positive energy, forget our problems for a day and take stock of our blessings.
