The Polish Red Cross and the Polish Center for International Aid Foundation signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Interior and Administration on July 5 to implement the project „Together to Independence”.

The project leader is the Ministry of Interior and Administration, which is responsible for the ongoing coordination and supervision of the entire initiative. The partners are two non-governmental organizations with many years of experience in carrying out such tasks: the Polish Red Cross and the Polish Center for International Aid Foundation. They are responsible for identifying project participants and providing them with direct support.

The project has been selected for funding by the European Commission under the call 'Specific Action MS under pressure – Support for Ukraine'. The EC has granted 84,149,255.34 PLN for its implementation, which constitutes 90% of the budget for this initiative.

The initiative aims to provide assistance to Ukrainian citizens covered by temporary protection (6,000 individuals) in achieving independence. The first step is to leave the collective accommodation center. The project beneficiaries will be offered financial support as well as a range of activities conducive to integration and building a life in Poland. This also includes, among other things, individual vocational counseling and assistance in job searching, Polish language courses, and cultural and integration activities.

Additionally, they will receive informational support regarding the rules and regulations of functioning in Polish society, e.g., in the area of assistance within the social security system, enrolling a child in kindergarten, school, or access to healthcare. Activities in the project are to be conducted until March 31, 2026.

Currently, a detailed regulation for beneficiaries is being developed, specifying the rules for recruitment and using support. It will soon be published on the project implementers' websites. A condition for participation in the project is having a PESEL number with UKR status and residing in a collective accommodation center.

The Polish Red Cross is the oldest humanitarian organization operating in Poland continuously since 1919. It is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Since the beginning of the conflict, it has been involved in extensive humanitarian assistance for victims of the conflict in Ukraine, particularly in the area of running a housing support program, a professional activation program, various integration programs, as well as psychological, financial, and material support.

The value of support #napomocUkrainie amounts to over 300 million PLN from individual, corporate, state, and local government donors, EU funds, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The Polish Center for International Aid is one of the most experienced Polish international non-governmental organizations engaged in humanitarian, developmental, and medical assistance. Over the past 10 years, PCPM has implemented over 140 programs with a total value of over 100 million euros, financed by the Polish government, UN agencies, and the European Commission. Since 2012, PCPM has been implementing a housing support program for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, financed by UNHCR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, and the UN.