Hope for the homeless

The Monar Association, a non-governmental organization (NGO) aiding drug addicts and the homeless, has completed its first program aimed at making the homeless more active members of society. The program, prepared by the association and financed by the European Social Fund, allows the homeless living in the association's shelters to gain skills which will help them return to professional life and lead them out of homelessness.

"We not only give the fish, but also try to give the fishing rod," the chairman of Monar, Jolanta Łazuga-Koczurowska.  "I can't imagine how you can help the homeless only passively," she added.

The first program was only directed at three shelters in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Podlaskie voivodships (in Marwałd, Laski and Garbas) and 60 people took part in the training. They all completed a computer course, attended motivation sessions, and underwent psychological evaluation before taking part in job training. Those who attended the program gained qualifications for positions such as cook, car mechanic, carpenter, welder and seamstress, to name a few. They were also able to gain driver's licenses.

"Thanks to this project people can believe that they can be self-sufficient and independent," Łazuga-Koczurowska concluded.

She explained that between 20-30 percent of those trained have already found a job (the program ended last week), despite the fact that the regions where the training took place are known for their high unemployment.

Monar hopes to carry out a similar program on a wider scale next year. The organization has 59 shelters across Poland where more than 20,000 people live. In 2005 the number of those that went through the shelters amounted to 22,937.