Chorzów's Zofia Cofałka Wins Irena Sendler Award

Krzysztof Bielawski, 16 November 2016
The Irena Sendler "Repairing the World" Award has been presented, in Warsaw, to Chorzów's Zofia Cofałka. Finalists for this year's award included Barbara Bierówka, Przemysław Fabjański, Hanna Jastrzębska-Gzella, Monika Niedźwiecka, Łukasz Połomski, Joanna Roszak, Mariusz Sokołowski, Anna Sosna, Bożenna Sucharska and Małgorzata Wójcik-Dudek.

Zofia Cofałka is a teacher at the John Paul II Junior High School No.2 in Chorzów. She is also a lecturer in the "Zak" Science & Business Centre in Katowice,  a member of Amnesty International, a Leader in ORE Global Education and a Leader in the CEO School of Tolerance. She has initiated many projects aimed at countering discrimination, promoting tolerance and multi-culturalism. Her particular passion is Islamic culture. She enjoys reading fantasy literature and topics related to anti-discrimination and human rights. She also acts on behalf of the Roma community.

At the gala presentation, Zofia said, "Being nominated for this award has been a great honour for me. But it also emphazises the great responsibility resting upon teachers. Being a teacher is not just a profession, it is, above all, a mission and a lifestyle".

The Irena Sendler "Repairing the World" Award is presented to teachers who practise their profession within a spirit of tolerance and respect for others, who inspire acts in accordance with those principles and who play an active role in their school and their local community. This year's Award nominees included teachers in the fields of Holocaust education, multi-culturalism and anti-discrimination.