Winners Medal Heart of the Earth 2018

Medal 21

Jerzy Owsiak – Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity foundation

Jerzy Zbigniew Owsiak, Jurek Owsiak – was born in Gdańsk, a Polish radio and television journalist, showman, charity and social activist. Founder and president of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation (Wielka Orkiestra Siwatecznej Pomocy- WOSP), initiator and organizer of the annual WOSP Final and Pol’and’Rock Festival / former “Przystanek Woodstock” /

As a radio and television journalist, he cooperated with Polish Television, Polish Radio, TVN and Canal +. He received many awards and medals for his social and charitable activity, even received state awards from the President of the Republic of Poland. From 2014, an Honorary Citizen of the Capital City of Warsaw.

In 1993, Jurek Owsiak registered the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity foundation. The Great Orchestra is most often associated with the January public fundraising called the WOŚP Finale. Despite the snow and frost, thousands of volunteers and millions of Poles, go out to collect money together, for a specific medical goal set out by the Foundation. The Great Orchestra played for the first time in 1993. Since then, thanks to the funds collected by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation, hundreds of hospitals in Poland have been equipped with the most modern medical equipment. During the 26 Finals of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, the Fundation collected and donated 951 million PLN to support Polish medicine.

Medal 20

Mr. Hassan Ahmed Sayed Khan

Mr. Khan Hassan Ahmed Sayed lives in South Africa. He comes from a family very much involved in helping other people. Positive values taken from home have guided Mr. Khan’s life. He carries out his volunteering work through activities related to pre-school education and homelessness. In 1976, he founded the Islamic Foundation for Early Education. In 1981, he started working as a volunteer in the foundation helping the homeless – “Haven Night”. Since 2001, Mr. Khan has been the General Director of the Foundation. Thanks to him, the rules for the functioning of homeless shelters have changed dramatically. He opened new shelters, in others he maderenovations to ensure a dignified life for the homeless. However, he became primarily focused on education and rehabilitation of the homeless. He created a program for getting out of homelessness. Its main purpose is to prepare the homeless person for further life in society. Through proper rehabilitation, the homeless people from Haven Night, after leaving the shelter, have a chance to find a place in society, have a chance to return to their families, find a job. Although shelters are located in different parts of South Africa, Mr. Khan personally supervises the activities of all branches. In addition, Mr. Khan works volontarly as a social initiatives consultant.

Medal 19

„Man is not born for tears and smiles,

but for the well being of his brothers”

The Divine Mercy Community from Solecznik in Lithuania – conducts charitable activities. Their goal is to support and accept all those in need, the poor and weak. It provides social assistance, spiritual, educational and organizational care for disadvantaged people and families, who are in a difficult life situation, regardless of their origin, faith or nationality. The Divine Mercy Community is a non- profit public institution, that serves the society.

Mercy and help shown to others is extremely altruistic, selfless, the only motive is “because there is poverty somewhere”.

Families, who live in poverty, need ordinary – everyday use items. But they keep quite, do not say that the toothbrush is worn out, that the towel has been used for ten years, that … . One can go on like that without end. The Divine Mercy Community members go and learn about the specific needs of each family by meeting and talking to them.

They encounter a real poverty, such as:

• a blind father raises underage children, by himself …
• both parents are sick, and a teenage girl is working and studying for the final exams … .

Poverty doesn’t follow any laws, doesn’t have borders. It comes by it’s own, without asking. It can also come to each  one of us. Let’s remember about that!

THE COMMUNITY OF DIVINE MERCY – PROVIDES SPECIFIC AND PRACTICAL HELP TO THOSE WHO REALLY NEED IT.

ABILITY TO HELP IS WITHIN EVERYONE.

Medal 18

„Ku Dobrej Nadziei”Association

„It does not matter how much oneposses, but how much one gives to others and how one shares with them”

This is the underlying idea of the Association, which operates in Białystok and in the surrounding area. The mission of the association is to promote Christian values, both in word and deed, in order to change the way of thinking and lifestyle of individuals, so that it has a positive impact on the rest of the society.

They carry out their mission mainly by helping people from communities threatened by social exclusion – homeless, poor, long-term unemployed, addicts – both individuals and families. Their help takes the form of spiritual, psychological and material support. Where it is possible, they try not to settle for immediate but more far-reaching and comprehensive help.

For example, they not only run the only heating room for homeless people in the city, but also a center for leaving homelessness, which includes a shelter for people undertaking resocialization.

They also run the only shelter in the province for dependent people, which was established to help homeless in need of primary medical care 24 hours a day.

An important element of the association’s work is the so-called Social Economy, which includes:

– Social Integration Center, which runs vocational trainings for permanently unemployed people, threatened with social exclusion

– A charity shop with second-hand clothing „Modny Grosik”, which carries out two functions, firstly as a training center, where permanently excluded persons can learn a profession, and secondlypeople directed by MOPR can receive help in the form of clothing.

The other actions, in which the Association is involved in, are monthly activities for children from families with difficulties; picnics and charity concerts.

Medal 17

The First Lady of the Republic of Poland, a spouse of the President of the Republic of Poland Mrs Jolanta Kwaśniewska – “Porozumienie bez barier” Charity.

In 1997, The First Lady , Mrs Jolanta Kwaśniewska founded the “Porozumienie bez barier” Charity (Communication without Barriers) . From that time onward, to this day, she has been offering selfless help for people who are in need. Jolanta Kwasniewska’sCharity implements many programs, which support not only individuals but also hospitals, other charities, hospices, rehabilitation centers, associations and care and educational centers. It is a charity with a huge range of activities.

The „Familiarizing with old age” program, which aims at drawing attention to the aspect of elderly people’s life, their daily problems with functioning, loneliness, lack of acceptance and perspectives. The key intention is the exchange of inter-generational experiences through establishing and conducting dialogue. The program includes debates, congresses and picnics. Thanks to the „Grandma’s and Grandfather’s Corner”project, within which recreation centers in Social Welfare Homes are being renovated, seniors can spend their autumn of life in dignified conditions, can develop their talents and interests. The program draws attention to the fact that old age is an inevitable stage of life and invites us to integrate with elderly people.

The “ They must live” program aims at increasing the number of bone marrow transplants among children with leukemia. It’sgreat achievement is, funded by the Charity and opened in 2005, the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the Medical Academy in Gdańsk.

“Butterfly Hospitals” Program, thanks to which the gray- harsh hospital reality of children’s hospital wards, has been largely changed into a colorful, fairy-tale like world.

The “Let’s open the world to children” program, in which the Charity organizes trips to attractive places and regions of the world, mainly for children whose fathers died while performing their official duties.
Co-financing of rehabilitation stays for chronically ill and disabled children.

The Youth Support Fund of Jolanta and Aleksander Kwaśniewski, operating within the Charity,  provides scholarship assistance to particularly talented students, mainly the disabled ones and coming from poor families.

Medal 16

DORJSUREN DASHIIBALBAR

DORJSUREN DASHIIBALBAR was born and lives in Mongolia. She graduated from the Mongolian Pedagogical University to be able to work with children, which was her dream since childhood. From an early age, her life was hard. Due to the difficult economic situation of the family, she worked as a nurse, earned her education and supported her family. At the age of 20 she graduated from the university and started working in a children’s organization in Ulaanbaatar. She met there many children who lived in poverty, who were victims of depression and ignorance. The turning point impacting the future of Mrs DORJSUREN DASHIIBALBAR, was her serious illness. During this time she also lost her beloved father and her husband left her with a small child. Despite the great pain and regret, she realized that her future is in her hands, that instead of feeling sorry for herself, she can take care of those in need. Mongolian families very often live in poverty, without work, without access to electricity, television and water. In such conditions, children do not have a chance for a basic meal, they have no chance for education. Nothing is worse than the fact that the child is hungry, sad, with no clothes for the winter. Mrs. DORJSUREN decided to create the „Young Friends”charity. As part of the charity, she opened a pre-school institution for 150 children, attended by children from families who are in a very difficult life situation. Most importantly, education in a kindergarten is free. In the institution of Mrs. DORJSUREN, children have the opportunity to get pre-school education in decent conditions. They have a meal, books, toys, care. Mrs. DORJSUREN found her happiness and peace in making the children happy. In the near future, she wants to expand heractivities by organizing charity, cultural and educational events, all aimed at the development and well-being of children.

Medal 15

Alivia Oncology Foundation

Alivia Oncology Foundation has been helping people with cancer in Poland since 2010. Its founder is Bartosz Poliński – Agata’s older brother, who 3 years prior, at the age of 28, was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. From then on, they have been supporting the sick and their relatives in difficult situations, as well as engaging healthy people in activities to fight cancer. Today, Alivia is one of the most active patients’ and advocacy organizations in Poland, which constantly monitors and initiates systemic and legislative activities in the field of oncology.

The Foundation motivates patients to be active in a difficult process of oncological treatment – to seek as much information as possible about a given case, making decisions about treatment together with a doctor.

Alivia gives patients specific tools to fight cancer and suggests ways to get to the information. It helps them to raise funds for medicines not refunded by the NFZ ( National Health Fund), diagnostic tests, medical consultations, orthopedic equipment and bandages. Fundraising is made possible by the Skarbonka Program, which Alivia runs for those in need. The Foundation also provides access to www.Onkomapa.pl and www.Kolejkoskop.pl free of charge. Thanks to them, patients can find the most friendly oncology center in the area, a doctor recommended by other patients, and also find the shortest queue for free diagnostic tests. Thanks to the donations to the Alivia Oncology Foundation’s account, it is possible to support a growing group of patients who are engaged in the most important fight in their lives. So far, thanks to donors, the Foundation has already donated over PLN 10 million to support the fight against Polish cancer patients.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Winners Medal Heart of the Earth 2016

Medal 8

The Children of Africa Foundation

For already eight years The Children of Africa Foundation has been fulfilling the UN Millennium Development Goals, which at the same time, are it’s statutory goals.

We undertake such activities as:

– elimination of extreme poverty and hunger through feeding and supporting the orphaned children for the poorest  families ( Cameroon, Central African Republic, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania),

– ensuring access to education, for example by building schools (Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia), on primary, post primary and university level (Cameroon, Ghana, Burundi). Providing teaching ids for schools, and school supplies for students ( Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ghana, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Namibia),

– trying to limit number of death among children by supplying mission health centers with milk powder, meant for little orphans and mothers suffering from AIDS (Cameroon),

– improving families’ health care by supplying mission health centers with medicines, supplements and medical equipment (Cameroon), and with glasses for people with visual impairments. We cooperate with polish voluntary doctors, whose medical help reaches places previously visited by Foundation representatives ( Cameroon, Namibia, Ghana),

– limiting spread of malaria as well as other diseases by supplying poor families with mosquito nets, soap and sunglasses ( Uganda, Cameroon), and by building wells (Ghana, Cameroon)

– providing humanitarian aid for families affected by natural disasters (Central African Republic)

Medal 9

Ahmad Yusuf Aulia

„I want to dedicate my life to my religion, human being, my family and nation”
Ahmad Yusuf Aulia is a histologist.Jest absolwentem Uniwerytetu Medycznego w Indonezji. He lives and works in Jakarta, Indonesia. He is a former pupil of a Medical University of Indonesia.

He completed his Ph.D. in Kobe, Japan.

He dedicated his life to helping the poor, the oppressed and the sick.

Since he was a little child, he has been organising tutoring for colleagues, meetings for troubled youth in juvenile prisons, charities for poor students.

As a student, he organized rallies designed to draw attention of the government of Indonesia to the disastrous economic, social and political conditions, corruption and alcoholism.

He chose medicine in order to be able to help as many people as possible. He has participated in many projects, including research on parasitic  and coronary diseases.
Ahmad Aulia Yusuf sees the biggest problem in the differences in treatment of poor people.
For many years he worked in a poor neighborhood of Jakarta, helping the needy.
He created a free of charge treatment programme for the people living in slums.

Medal 10

Foundation Światło (The Light)

Foundation Światło (The Light)  has existed since 2003.
Its mission is supporting the sick and disabled, in particular, people in a coma and oncological patients.The main activities of the Foundation are focused around its Care and Treatment Facility for 43 „Sleepers” – patients in coma.It is the only facility in Poland where adult patients in a coma can find care and rehabilitation.The biggest success of the ZOL (Care and Treatment Facility) is waking 46 people from  coma.This number of awaken people is not only an excellent result in Poland, but also across the whole Europe.The problem of a coma affects not only the patient, but his whole family, hence the activities of the foundation also include the „Kaganek” programme for orphans and the „Centre of  Support for the Families of Sleepers” project.Both initiatives are aimed at supporting the patient’s family.The Swiatlo Foundation also carries out a Nationwide Academy Network of Figthting with Cancer.A place of free psycho-oncological support for patients and their families.Currently, the Academy operates in 12 cities in Poland, including Torun, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Czestochowa, Gdynia, Gdansk, Kalisz, Zamosc, Jelenia Gora, Suwalki, and Bialystok. Quarterly, the Academy provides support to 500 patients.The aim of the Academy of Fighting with Cancer. is not only motivating to fight the disease, but also helping in understanding of the disease and making changes in one’s life.The programme of activities of the Academy is focused primarily on psycho-education, therapy sessions, physical activities and dietetics.

Medal 11

Podlachia Oncological Hospice Foundation

„Being with another person makes every moment of a man’s life beautiful”
Pawel Grabowski – oncologist, dental surgeon, a specialist in palliative care.
He left his career far in the capital and went on a „mission” to a small town in the Podlachia to serve others with his knowledge and heart for the dying of cancer He founded the Podlachia Oncological Hospice Foundation, placed in Nowa Wola village, which takes care of terminally ill people from  many tiny villages of Podlachia.
Dr Grabowski travels tens of kilometers every day to get to their homes.
He provides help where there is no hope, no strength, and only suffering.
Dr. Paul treats all his patients with great respect. he never gives up and fights until the last minute.He sacrifices himself to relieve suffering at the end of their lives without expecting anything in return.
Dr. Paul Grabowski is the president of Podlachia Oncological Hospice Foundation. It operates without a contract with the National Health Fund, keeping up with the financial support of individual donors and institutions.

Medal 12

Helena and Zdzislaw Czarnecki

 „We give a hand to those who are in a difficult situation” -According to this principle act Helena and Zdzislaw Czarnecki.Mrs and Mr Czarneccy are people with great hearts, sensitive to human adversity.For many years, they have been helping financially and materially the needy.They support many events at the national and international level and promote our city as well as our country.They support not only the people in need, but also those who work for the needy.Foundations that depend on donations and suport of others have a raison d’etre thanks to people like Mrs and Mr Czarnecki.Their commitment comes from a pure need to help the others.Working for others is an inherent part of their lives.In order to be able to help a wider number of recipients they founded the Czarnecki Family Foundation.Their foundation organizes many events for children, charity, Easter and Christmas Eve meals for thousands of the poor.Mrs and Mr Czarneccy are representatives of businesses of Bialystok,. They are focused on selflessly helping the othersNowadays it is a rarity, because even though they work very hard on their business, they still have time for helping others.

Medal 13

 Rimantas Kaukenas – Charity Group

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, not just the child’s life but also their parents, grandparents, family members and friends lives are turned upside down. Priorities change, everyday concerns suddenly seem insignificant and a future once so positive and full of hope can become unwelcoming and daunting.Rimantas Kaukenas Charity Group is a dynamic charity organisation that brings hope, strength and joy to children across Lithuania living with life-threatening medical conditions. Along with the help of other sportsmen, actors and friends, we try to grant magical moments to the children in need from Lithuania.Rimantas Kaukenas Charity Group organizes various kinds of charities. The collected funds are spent on medical equipment for hospitals, individual aid for needy families and fulfilling the dreams of sick children.Charity Group also helps the families of sick children come to terms with the trauma of diagnosis, participates in the long and difficult journey of treatment.The foundation has one simple aim: to ease the burden of children diagnosed with cancer and their families.

 Medal 14

“Help on time” Foundation

“… make others happy and in their happiness find one’s own “ – these words of Julian Tuwim, were Mr Stanislaw Kowalski’s inspiration to start “ Help on time” Foundation.

The Foundation was establish in order to save children’s  lifes and health. It finances medical treatment, rehabilitation, medicines and medical equipment supplies. The “Help on time” program was founded in 1998,  under the patronage of world famous heart surgeon Professor Zbigniew Religa. The Foundation’s mission is support by commonly known and respected figures, such as Beata Tyszkiewicz, remarkable actor, who took over as the President of “Help on time” Community.

At present, 30 000 seek and disabled children, from all over the country, use the help of Foundation, and that number is growing rapidly. These children suffer from cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, autism, retinopathy, Down syndrome, tumor, genetic heart defects.

Proteges of the Foundation can participate in rehabilitation holidays in rehabilitation centers, started by the Foundation – AMICUS, BIOMICUS and CEMICUS in Warsaw, and use accommodation, together with a attendant, in 5 foundation’s hostels. In these centers, children are provided with comprehensive  help by specialists: doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, speech therapists.

Stanislaw Kowalski – President of the “Help on time” Foundation, awarded with dozens of medals, including among other The Order of Polonia Restiuta , Gold Cross of Merit and Order of Smile.

---

_____________________________________________________________________________

Winners Medal Heart of the Earth 2014

1. Aleksandr Medved  
2.  

One of the greatest wrestlers in history. He won seven gold medals at World Championships and was a three times winner of the Olympic Games: 1964 Tokyo, 1968 Mexico  and 1972 Munich.He devoted himself not only to coaching wrestlers, but he has also a promoter of other fighting styles such as Alysh , Kurash , Zurkhaneh or Koluchstyl.

Mr. Medved is committed to the integration of martial arts. His motto says: „Fighting – yes. But only on the mat.”

Thanks to activity of Mr. Alexandr Medved and his supporting various sports initiatives , many young players can take part in international tournaments , strengthening bonds between athletes from around the world.

He used his great authority and great experience in the martial arts to work for the international community integration.

His enthusiasm inspired many people around the world to actively promote sport.

2. Father Edward Konkol     

Father Edward’s life was never  limited  to the religious order he belonged to.

His mission began in Bialystok in 1986, when he started helping alcoholics, drug addicts, HIV virus infected, and difficult to work with young people.

In 1991, together with other volunteers, he started the “Droga”(“The Road”) Association that works with children and their parents,  as well as all people rejected by others and victims of fate.

He also established the „Etap” („Stage”) Prevention and Therapy Centre for Youth and Adults to help rejected young people, emotionally disturbed, demoralized and affected by crime, especially drug addicts.

He opened „Dom Powrotu” („Return Home”) the first facility for children deprived of parental care in the eastern part of Poland.

Thanks to Fr. Edward’s initiative, every year, the city organises Christmas Eve during which food parcels are distributed to the poor and needy.

During the summer, children of small villages of Podlasie province go with volunteers of „Droga” to summer camps for free.

3. Ewa Błaszczyk      

Polish film, stage and TV actress, singer. She is the founder and president of the non-profit organization „Akogo?” created to help children after severe traumatic brain injury, often staying in a coma.Together with the Ministry of Health and a team of experts, she created the “Waking children from a coma” programme, which is supported by the government.She built the first neurorehabilitation center for children in coma in Poland. Children can stay in the clinic for free and live there together with their parents who are involved in the process of rehabilitation. Twelve children woke from coma during the first year of functioning of the Clinic.

The activity of the Foundation and the Clinic is possible thanks to the generosity of many individual donors, institutions and companies.

4. Philip Peter Bam    

He lives in Cape Town.

He studied at the Calvinist Theological Seminary, and was ordained in 1973.

Because of his great interest in the affairs of the visually handicapped community, Mr Bam resigned his full time ministry in 1979 to take up the position of Executive Director of the League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB].

He is however still active in the church, conducting services and chairing its synodal commission on dogmatics and current affairs.

Mr Bam also holds the Diploma in Business Administration, 1st Class, from Executive Education, Cape Town, as well as a Diploma in Public Relations from the Centre for Management Development, Cape Town.

His involvement in blindness issues extends to all aspects of the world of the blind.

He served as Chairperson of the management board member of the Haven Night Shelter Welfare Organisation providing nineteen shelters in the Western Cape.

He is chairperson of the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance an organistion of 160 community based organisation and environmental groups.

He currently serves as Chairperson of the Princess Vlei Forum, comprising various interest groups involved in heritage, culture and environmental protection.

As the Executive Director of LOFOB he was personally responsible for the establishment of a new hostel in Grassy Park for 52 blind men.

Under his guidance a Work Centre creating employment for over 120 blind people..  This Centre also provided some job opportunities for unemployed people.

He was invited to become a trustee of Disability Employment Concerns, an empowerment of disabled people investment group, an organisation funding the building of schools where the State cannot do so.

Under his able direction a community-based rehabilitation programme was established for low ability blind people. He also established the Early Childhood Development programme for blind toddlers at LOFOB

He is considered to have expertise in the field of organisational development and management as well as fundraising .

He was the recipient of many various appreciation awards from community organisations. He was named a MELVYN JONES FELLOW which is the highest international recognition afforded by Lions International for humanitarian service.

5. Colonel Profesor Jan Talar      

Colonel prof. Jan Talar is a doctor and medical specialist for coma.He has been awakening coma patients for 40 years, even those with brain stem damage. Thanks to the methods used by him, they don’t only regain consciousness but also return to their normal lifes. Many of his patients finished higher education later on.He is the creator of the Department of Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Bydgoszcz.Professor Talar, using modern methods of physiotherapy , psychotherapy , speech therapy, helps patients after severe trauma , motor organs injuries, spinal cord injuries , extensive brain damage or impaired consciousness.Professor’s goal is to change the definition of brain stem death to avoid cases of organ harvesting from living people, which unfortunately is increasingly common procedure.His attitude raises many controversies and causes attacks towards him, mostly coming from transplant specialists. His lonely struggle against the incorrect definition of death aroused great respect and appreciation for his actions.

 

6. „Pomóż Im” Foundation     

The “Pomóż im” (“Help them”) Foundation is involved in activities supporting the treatment of children. The main goal of the foundation is to create conditions that ensure comfort  to children.

Foundation organises at clinic special rooms for parents who need to stay with their children at all times as well as special rehabilitation camps.Foundation also implemented home care formula which is based on the fact, that young patients are staying in their homes, surrounded by the loved ones. Doctors and nurses regularly visit their patients.The hospice takes care of dozens of terminally ill children.Children are provided with medical and nursing care , rehabilitation , psychological, as well as medicines, medical equipment and rehabilitation equipment .Every year, the whole team takes over 6 thousand visits to the homes of young patients, travelling about 240 thousand kilometers, corresponding to six laps around the earth 's equator.

7. PRAWOSŁAWNY OŚRODEK MIŁOSIERDZIA
   Diecezji Białostocko -Gdańskiej ELEOS
   (Orthodox Center of Mercy at Diocese of Bialystok-Gdansk ELEOS)     

ELEOS’ activity is mainly focused around helping the needy.

Thanks to the people of good will and volunteers, ELEOS opened free Socio-therapeutic Community Centres in which children from poor or pathological families  may worthily spend time after school.

The clubs organize educational and developmental activities , as well as individual therapies and help children with their homework. Very often it’s the only opportunity for children to eat a meal during a day. Trips for children are organized during the school holidays .

ELEOS also established nursing homes, which are helping the elderly, sick or disabled.

Since 2002, in Bialystok there is a eating place that feeds poor and homeless people.

ELEOS also organizes Christmas Eve and Easter breakfast for lonely people,  the homeless and the poor. The Centre also provides material and financial aid to the poorest people.