We are a group of women migrants, self-advocates, independent mothers of children with disabilities who share experiences with families coming under our wings. Our president is a special educator who has been supporting people with disabilities for 15 years.
We founded the Patchwork Association out of a need to change a world in which being a refugee woman, on top of being an independent mother, is difficult.
Each of the five Patchwork founders experienced this first-hand after living in Poland and wanted to change this reality.
Patchwork is made up of women with different professions and personalities, ranging in age from 35 to 51. They are united by their openness to others, empathy and a willingness to learn from each other.
We are all single mothers from immigrant/refugee families, so we understand the problems our charges are facing.
We are women, mothers, immigrants and refugees. Using our experiences, we are creating a community to be a catalyst for change. Individual, affecting the wellbeing of specific families, as well as systemic, where we can represent the interests of refugee women at regional and national level.
In our association every vote is equally important, we act transparently and horizontally in support of women's and children's rights. We look at disability from a social perspective, seeing it as a strength rather than a limitation.
Every action, every project we undertake is driven by a desire to help other women and people neurodiversity. We believe in their abilities, talentswe want to support their developmentbecause we were once in their shoes ourselves.
We are advocates of our own cause.
Our actions stem from a belief in equality, feminism and a deep understanding of the challenges of independent motherhood. We are close to the values derived from human, women's and children's rights.
She was one of the initiators of the founding of the 'Patchwork' Association and has been its president since its inception. She works with children and young people with disabilities. She is the heart and driving force behind 'Patchwork'. She received her education at many universities, including the State Pedagogical University in Krakow.
A talented nail stylist who combines her love of beauty with a personalised approach to each client. She also specialises in eyebrow care, helping to enhance natural beauty. In addition to her work, Olga sings in the ethno band "LELIA" (Zustrich Foundation), with which she performs at events with Ukrainian songs.
He is a graduate of the Bronisław Czech University of Physical Education in Kraków (bachelor's degree) and the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum (master's degree). The foundation of his work is manual therapy according to the standards of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manual Physiotherapists (IFOMPT).
