emPOWERment Initiator

The aim of this competition was to find and reward ideas that respond to the current problems and challenges of survivors of nazi persecution in Poland – ideas for solutions that would improve their quality of life and give them support and a stronger sense of agency.

The main focus of the competition was to improve the offered aid to men and women, who survived the persecution of nationalist socialism. These are elderly people who face many problems related to their age – they are often lonely and sick, and they rarely are able or want to leave their houses. Their needs are similar to those of other elderly people. They want to feel important to others, but also to be independent for as long as possible. They need empathy, contact with others, companionship – to be taken into account and heard. Traumatic experiences from the war and severe stress resulting from the threat to life, loss of loved ones or hunger left a permanent mark on their body and psyche. Some of them also have a strong need to share their recurring memories, express their experiences and to give a testimony or a warning for younger generations. It is with them in mind that we organized the "emPOWERment Initiator" competition. By creating the competition, we wanted to join forces in finding ideas for the best forms of help for those who need it most. We wanted to find unusual solutions to their everyday challenges.

On this website you will find descriptions of the most interesting ideas submitted to the competition – our finalists. We hope that they will be used by organizations, institutions and other interested parties who work to support the nazi persecution survivors in one way or another.

The competition is part of the "PoMoc. Together, we can do more" implemented by Shipyard Foundation on behalf of the EVZ Foundation (Remembrance, Responsibility and Future).