I wrote two pieces recently for the Wroclaw International English newspaper.
Here they are
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela.
In January 2010 Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake which was watched by many on the other side of the world. We shook our heads in dismay and sadness and then discussed it until the end of our double espresso and croissant. This is adequate time for such a topic and once it is over we move on. We are all guilty of such whimsical feelings and no one should really feel guilty about them however it is reassuring and somewhat comforting when we know that there are some people who will make that double espresso last a little while longer.
After scouring the internet I was pleasantly surprised to note that there have been more than a handful of individuals, groups, and countries that have pulled together to re-build Haiti and it was even nicer to hear that one such group comes from right here in Wroclaw. Recently I have been in touch with an architect by the name of Katarzyna Dabkowska who has been more than a little helpful in regards sharing information about her work and that of the rest of her team of 5 young architects from the city; Maciej Siuda, Lukasz Piasta, Marta Niedbalec, Kamil Rusinek and Jerzy Mazurkiewicz.
It all began in June 2011 as a competition ran by the charity foundation ‘Polska-Haiti’, the Polish Chamber of Architects, and the Polish Chamber of Civil Engineers. The requirement was to design a new school to be constructed in Jacmel a town deeply affected, not only by the infamous earthquake, but also by heavy rain falls, hurricanes, and cholera epidemics that have taken their toll on the people and the buildings. After sailing through two stages of the competition in May 2012 the group of Wroclawians took their prize of seeing their designs become a reality and began the arduous task of traveling to Haiti and building a school for the children who desperately seek an education. Unlike other children in the more fortunate parts of the World, the younger generation of Haiti has been forced to grow up quickly by the tragedies they have faced and have no choice but to carry the heavy burden and restore Haiti to an educated and therefore more prosperous nation.
The school is funded primarily by the Bishop Launay Saturne, Caritas Polska, and the charity foundation ‘Polska-Haiti’ and the aim is to have at least part of the school ready and able by September 2013, this will mean that the children can start learning at the start of the academic year.
My main concern, when I heard about this project, was the sturdiness of the building. For a country that seems quite the target for mother nature’s bow and arrow how can one be sure that the new building will be able to withstand the possibly inevitable future disasters? It was also clear to the architects that there would be huge issues as the materials and technology available in Haiti are very different and somewhat lacking in comparison to what they were used to dealing with in Poland. Luckily though the idea is for these talented individuals to bring their knowledge over and put them to good use, knowledge they gained from Poland and so the project is being completed following and according to the Polish building code with the cooperation and expertise of engineers and specialists. Also all conditions have been taken into consideration and for areas which are more vulnerable to seismic activity the structure has been optimised. With the dry season lasting up to 3 months in Jacmel it is imperative that water is collected adequately throughout the rainy season and the construction of a deep well is in discussion. Through the rainy season the rain water is collected in pools on the roof which is then used in the kitchen and toilets to maintain sanitary conditions.
After just a few emails with Katarzyna Dabkowska I was amazed by her enthusiasm for such a strenuous task, it is both wonderful and astonishing that people with talents that could push them far in their own personal goals and aspirations are willing to take a step back and spend 2 -3 years building a school for people they hardly know.
I asked Miss Dabkowska what her thoughts were of the people she encountered in Haiti, “They are passive, they seem to struggle every day and continue to live on the rubbles and the ruins of their country but, like Wroclawians, they are warm and hospitable. “
The group, when in Haiti, were enthusiastically thrust into a sight seeing tour of, not only the city and buildings, but of places of natural beauty that seemed to have evaded the touch of the catastrophes that have plagued the country.
How astonishing that through such tragedies people can still stand up and introduce their place of birth with pride and a smile.
And as for the wonderful group of Wroclawians, they hope that when this project ends it will open the door to many more. It is an excuse to travel, to learn, and to integrate with other cultures but also for the simple fact that it brings different worlds together in working towards a common goal.
If you wish to know more about this project or to donate please visit the Polska-Haiti website. www.polska-haiti.org
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It may come as a surprise to some that Poland is actually the 4th largest producer of fur in the World, larger than the US even. Maybe one will have to wait for the devilishly cold winter months of January and February to truly witness the bundled up individuals riding the city trams with their fox tailed scarfs and rabbit eared hats. I didn’t quite lose my mouthful of water when I read the statistics but it did make me slightly twitch in my seat with unease. I am not judging fur connoisseurs but sadly there is a harsh reality that comes with the fur trade and that is how the animals are kept pre-skinning.
An intervention occurred on a fox farm in April 2012, an anonymous informer had contacted the animal protection society of Lower Silesia ‘Ekostraz’ to help the foxes that lived in diabolic conditions. In metal containers such as unused, old ovens in the heat of Polish summer without drinking water and left to breed in these conditions so as to produce more fur, the wonderful unpaid volunteers decided to take on legal action against the owner of the farm.
It is reassuring to most that these kind of societies exist, we can relax in the knowledge that others are cleaning up the dirt of the inhumane and irresponsible however, everything has a price tag and Ekostraz, which is non-profit and one of it’s kind in the whole of Poland, needs money if it shall continue to fight the good fight. The reason they are one of a kind is that they not only protect those that we call ‘pets’ such as cats and dogs but also they work on protecting wild animals too; hedgehogs, squirrels,birds and such that happen to fall upon hard times. If they are able to be saved Ekostraz will pick them up in one of the few cars they have and nurse them back to health in a foster home. It is important to remember that zoos, other shelters and vets here in Wroclaw have little to no experience dealing with wild animals and so all work burdens the 20 or so Ekostraz members who see domestic pets and wild animals as equal when in need of help.
Unfortunately unless you seek out the Facebook page of Ekostraz or dine at Vega in the Rynek where many of their meetings and workshops have taken place then it is unlikely you, as a native English speaker, would have heard of them however it is good to know that most of their members speak English and although they do not have a shelter, per-se, to work at you can always provide a helping hand by donating, providing transport or even opening your home to animals that need a foster parent until they get permanently homed. All vets bills, food and equipment is provided and paid for all you have to do is have a furry yet very endearing house mate to stay for a while. They all come with a guarantee not to block your toilet, pile up the dirty dishes, and they will attend to you in whatever mood or state you find yourself in as long as you scratch behind their ears.
Also if you own a company here in Wroclaw and would like to sponsor a worth-while cause, a cause that is desperately seeking funds to purchase an incubator to help animals with respiratory issues as well as other vital equipment to keep them afloat please contact them by email info@ekostraz.pl or ‘phone 605782214.
