Irena Sendler “Repairing the World” Award Presented

The Award is presented by the Centre of the Civil Education together with the Children of the Holocaust in Poland Association. Its purpose is to honour teachers who teach and educate in a spirit of tolerance and respect for others, who inspire actions in accordance with these principles and who play an active role in their school and their local community. The idea of the Award is intended to honour Irena Sendler, her heroic activities with Żegota which, during World War II, saved the lives of many Jewish children. In 2006, Irena Sendler personally chose the first winners of the Award.

Chairman of the Award committee, Krzysztof Czyżewski, during the seventh presentation, emphasised that the winner the same as him – a borderlands person. The teacher was a person of mixed Belarussian-Russian origin, born in the Ukraine, having lived in Poland for many years and who had chosen to create a family for herself comprising Chechens, Poles, Byelorussians Muslims, Jews and members of the Orthodox church, adults and children. The essence of her work is exclusively working with the children of refugees, trying to relieve their trauma connected with war, of being in another country and feeling alienated. Her students are mainly children diagnosed with culture shock or manifestations of post-traumatic stress. With her charges, she goes to residential centres for foreigners, where the children playing concerts and dance under the banner of “Days Without Prison Bars”. The children living in these closed refugee centres also take part – they come from the former Soviet Union, Iran, Palestine, Nepal, Syria and Afghanistan. Marina’s students prepare sweets, greeting cards and toys for them, teach them songs and traditional Chechen dances.

President Bronisław Komorowski sent a letter of congratulations which was read out during the ceremony by Irena Wóycicka, Undersecretary for Community Services in the Office of the President. The latter stated:

In May, we commemorated the fifth anniversary of the passing of Irena Sendler. Year after year, Polish schools, streets and initiatives are named in her honour. We want to remember her as the warm and cheerful person she was, as her family and friends remember her, not as a distant and cool figure looking down at us from monuments. Therefore, this award for teachers, whose daily work with students is guided by the values personified by Irena Sendler, is a fitting tribute to the patron of the competition. They pass Irena Sendler’s ideals on to their children – values such as respect for others and being responsible for your fellow man are not reserved exclusively for the heroes of school history textbooks.

Eight others teachers received honourable mentions: Zofia Cofałkę (John Paul II Junior High School No.2 in Chorzów), Izabela Kaletę (Wola Jachowa School Complex), Iwona Kryczkę (Hieronim Dekutowski Junior High School No.9 in Lublin),  Mariusz Sokołowski (Rev, Rabczyński Junior High School in Wasilków), Barbara Subko (French Senior High School in Warsaw), Ewelina Waląg (Adam Mickiewicz Comprehensive Senior High School ijn Góra), Teresa Witkowska (Gen.Kaliski School Complex in Góra) and Anna Włodek (Comprehensive Senior High School in Tarnowska Góra).

Also, three teachers from the Reformatory Complex in Poznań were highly commended: Katarzyna Iwińska, Mariusz Cielecki and Dominika Piotrowska. Members of the jury stressed that teachers who work with “difficult” pupils, endeavour to develop within them sensitivity to the needs of others, at the same time realising the ideals of Irena Sendler – turning to people who are socially isolated and extending a hand to them.