The Activate Yourself! project helped marginalised people integrate into social and professional life in the city of Katowice, southern Poland. A total of 839 residents participated, including those living in, or at risk of, exclusion due to unemployment, disabilities, or homelessness.
- 07 August 2019
I always wanted to work but it was difficult to reconcile my family life with a professional one. I came to the local activity programme and took part in development workshops and social skills training. Someone saw my potential and suggested I run for the council of the auxiliary unit in Wełnowiec-Józefowiec. I tried and have now been working for the district for almost four years. As part of the project, I was a member of the social integration club, I started an internship and now I’m working. This is my first job that is consistent with my education in political science and specialisation in social policy. It gives me a lot of satisfaction.
Katowice is Poland’s 11th largest city with a population of about 300 000. The project was based on a study showing that many residents going to local social welfare centres were socially inactive and not working due to psychological, as well as life-situation and community-related factors.
The project provided a range of support to such people in the form of assistants and pedagogical and psychological counselling. Recipients included families with children with behavioural difficulties and the homeless. The project provided hands-on, innovative programmes for the unemployed, foster children, young parents and the disabled. In addition, local activity programmes (LAPs) took place in the districts of Giszowiec, Zawodzie, Wełnowiec-Józefowiec and Dąb.
As a result of the project, at least 107 people found jobs, including as salespeople or cashiers, kitchen hands, office workers, billing assistants, locksmiths, machine operators, cleaners, and security guards. Some people were employed in institutions and organisations where they had completed internships, including NGOs and manufacturing companies.
In addition, 75 project participants obtained career-boosting qualifications after completing courses. These included ECDL computer literacy, English language and first aid certifications, as well as category D driver’s and fork lift operator licenses. At the time of the project’s completion, another 28 participants were looking for work as beauticians, salespeople/cashiers, production or food workers, and dressmakers.
Developing skills
The project included initiatives to build social and professional skills among residents of Katowice’s eastern district, Giszowiec. A women’s circle was set up so participants could support one another and exchange knowledge and skills useful on the labour market. They also had access to individual counselling.
The project worked with residents of a housing estate in Giszowiec to get them to improve their surroundings, for example by removing graffiti from walls. The aim was to have people get to know one another, identify needs and strengthen social skills. The project was extended to Karliczka, Kolista, Mysłowicka and Zawodzie , all in Katowice.
Due to the fact that the Wełnowiec-Józefowiec districts have an ageing community, help was dedicated to the elderly, especially those who were lonely and excluded from social and cultural life. One of them is Roman, who recalls: ‘I have been in LAP for four years now. I go because there I am not alone. I can talk to someone, meet people, and life goes on without worries. I like it because everything is free, like going to the cinema or theatre.’
Separate activities helped people with disabilities develop social skills. This took the form of weekly meetings, artistic workshops and a film club. Links were established with cultural and sporting bodies, as well as schools and social organisations, to promote activities in which disabled people could take part.
Training apartment
An award-winning ‘training apartment’ was an important part of the project. The city provided it so that people with intellectual disabilities could learn skills needed to be independent. Other than social welfare homes and sheltered housing, there had previously been no other ways to help this group of people in Katowice.
The 130-square meter apartment was opened in January 2016. The beneficiaries are 16 people divided into four groups of women and men. Each group gets to stay there for up to a month, under the supervision of a carer. They learn how to run a household, cook, clean, plan and organise their time, and deal with administrative matters like applying for a passport. In addition to teaching social skills, the apartment gives parents of disabled children a break.
Celebrating
A project priority was forging informal local partnerships. These included city officials, local government organisations, cultural institutions, business representatives, social leaders, and councillors. The aim was to get local decisionmakers involved in the current affairs of the district and implement grassroots initiatives.
One such example is a celebration of the Wełnowiec-Józefowiec district that was revived after 18 years thanks to local entities, leaders and volunteers. The family-friendly festival includes performances from local artists, students, scouts, and choirs.
According to local resident Maria: ‘The first district celebration proved that people need such events and want to participate in organizing them. I see people who did not show any initiative, just like my husband, and now they are volunteers and work for the benefit of Wełnowiec-Józefowiec.’
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Activate Yourself! Program of professional and social activation in Katowice” is EUR 1 129 013 (PLN 4 800 000), with the EU’s European Social Fund contributing EUR 959 661 (PLN 4 080 000) through the “Regional Operational Programme for Śląskie Voivodeship” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Social inclusion”.