Home Again: a story from Poland

Many people in Poland suffered due to the country’s change from communism as most of the state industries suddenly stopped operating.

This left large numbers of unemployed people who turned to migration to seek work and gain a certain measure of security over their lives. However, many do not find this and end up in similar situations to those they were migrating away from; such as homelessness or substance dependency.

A solution for these would be migrants as well as many other people who are facing social exclusion in Poland is an innovative movement being fronted by the Barka Foundation. Polish people who have found themselves in difficulties from all over the world are being offered the chance to live and work in these communities back home. The co-op members are reconnected to a normal and healthy life through community support, accommodation and paid work giving them a new sense of security and purpose.

Barka started as one community of local homeless people who needed support after the fall of communism. During the communist era in Poland a whole generation of people were brought up in a place where the state saw over most business and thus the jobs. After, much of the population struggled to cope with the change to a free market mentality and ended up unemployed. The small original community of twenty five lived communally with Barka’s founders – the Sadowska family in a economically self-sustainable farm. This model has now been used in many similar organisations all over Poland and abroad.

The images in this series are a snapshot of these people’s lives at the co-ops. The series shows two residential co-ops which were also regenerating building and businesses in the local area. One an old soviet farm – Chudobczyce (skinny dogs) and one a homeless dog shelter run by ex-homeless people – the Wielkopomoc (Great Support) Association Co-Operative.

About the author:
David Shaw was born in 1990 in London. He works internationally as a photographer and journalist and has recently been working on a long term projects in the North of England. His work documents stories long-term based around human rights, social issues and communities worldwide.

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Christopher works on the Chudobczyce farm after serving time in a Polish prison. Not everyone has been through Barka’s foreign programs and can also come from Poland itself.

Mariouz, 40, lived in Dublin for 15 years working on sea trawlers. Due to illness in his family he moved home but had been away for so long he had no employment opportunities and now works on the Chudobczyce farm.

The Wielkopomoc Co-Operative, of which many of the members are ex-homeless, runs a shelter for homeless dogs as its main economic activity. Joanna, the co-op’s chef, plays with her dog Blue.

Tomac, 37, is an ex-gangster who went through correctional institutions in his youth. He now leads the Chudobczyce co-operative managing both the farm and the residential reintegration centre. The community is successful at being financially self-sufficient.

Anthony has been living in Barka co-operatives for over 20 years due to drinking problems. He once ‘went fishing’ and didn’t come back for 4 days.

Lukasz, the youngest member of Wielkopomoc is 25; he was homeless in Holland after a drug problem. Motivation to not go back to the streets is strong, “I was on the streets for one month, that was enough.”

These communities fight many issues that are prominent in the world with relatively easy to set up solutions. Self-worth, security and happiness are the eventual outcomes of the projects.