WOŚP

If I was to come up with the most renowned, but also the most controversial charity initiative in Poland, without hesitation I would point at Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy. Those who’d wish to translate its name into English could scratch their heads to figure out what Świąteczna stands for. The most common explanation is that it pertains to Christmas, as its first event was held in early January, shortly past the Christmas tide.

Beginnings of the initiative could be traced back to January 1993. Poland was in the state of flux past the downfall of communism. The nascent private sector was booming, but on the other hand several industries were on its knees. The public purse was not chock full of money, especially to fund growing needs of the health service, which has not moved ahead from the bygone era. From its beginnings, WOŚP was a fundraising, with proceeds aimed at purchasing medical equipment and donating them to public hospitals.

With time WOŚP collected more and more money, but also mobilised an army of enemies from the right wing of the political scene. Ample reasons could have been quoted, starting from outrage at Jerzy Owsiak, the initiative founder and leader, for espousing social views far from conservatism, through envy somebody recurringly mobilises an army of hearts, an achievement no one on the right side of the Polish political arena cannot boast of, to Mr Owsiak’s political involvement, unhidden since the very chap is hot-tempered.

Finances of WOŚP have been x-rayed by his enemies, claiming a far too small fraction of the money collected goes to purchases of medical equipment. I have analysed publicly available financial statements of the foundation and found no irregularities. Money raised from donators and bank account interest off it finance purchases of medical equipment (over a two-year observation period), while running costs of the foundation and its non-charity activities are covered by payments from sponsors and partners. Mr Owsiak and his life do live off running it, yet the founder’s salary is lower than mine, while his contribution to quality of life in Poland is a thousand times higher than mine, hence I see no point it in nitpicking.

If you compare annual proceeds from WOŚP to annual outlays on health service in Poland, you will find out WOŚP finances our health service for one day in a year. Two or three decades ago, deficiency of medial equipment was the major problem of the Polish healthcare system. Today, it is the shortage of doctors in combination with ageing society which brings the health service (not only in Poland) into imbalance. This problem is unlikely to be solved by any charity since it is a structural one, as supply of medical stuff is highly inelastic.

In 2026 WOŚP brings people together country-wide and has become an integral element of January (since 2021 the final day is on the last Sunday of January, being one of few Sundays in a year when shops are allowed to be open in Poland).

As in case of any charity, contributions to it ought to be voluntary. If you dislike it, for any reason, just do not donate. It is fine. But do not spread hatred. This year, as everyone noted, the range of loathing towards WOŚP in the public discourse was record-low. Maybe those not fond of the initiative have come to their senses and realised their outrage only boosts the funding for WOŚP.

With respect to me share in this magnificent pie, I can proudly boast of:
1) my home-made apple pie and cheesecake auctioned off for PLN 1,014
2) items I received as gifts as families under my care in Szlachetna Paczka in 2025 auctioned off in total for PLN 64,
3) I won auctions for:
- a handmade woollen cap and a scarf – bid of PLN 107,
- a voucher for bowling in Arena Ursynów – bid of PLN 160,
- a voucher for snooker in Arena Ursynów – bid of PLN 62,
4) besides I donated PLN 50 to a traditional can and PLN 30 to an online can.
The contribution above totals to PLN 1,487, which sets an ambitious target to be beaten in January 2027. Keep warm!

Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy - 2025

Contributing to Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy has become an annual tradition. 2 years ago I put out a picture made by me during a wine-fuelled painting workshop and it sold for PLN 810. This year I put out my flagship cakes - a cheesecake (sernik) and an apple cake (szarlotka), they sold for PLN 500. Both biddings were won by my workmates, so last Thursday I delivered what I had baked to auction winners. Twenty minutes later both cakes were already in my workmates' stomachs.

This year I went on a bidding spree myself. I have won: oil and filters change for my Megane before it changes hands, a cycling trip around Ursynów with a guide and with the mayor of Ursynów, a set of four hand-made woollen caps.

The most foolhardy expense made by me was a hearing aid purchased to a 74-year-old man who I am looking after as a Szlachetna Paczka volunteer. I took a risk of charging my credit card with PLN 7,620 and then began looking out for co-founders. The response and generosity of people around, mostly my workmates, was astoundingly superb and I ended up with a three-digit contribution to the purchase.

Year after year, WOŚP collectsmore and more money and receives more and more hatred from right-wing media and electorate. Sadly, approach to this big charity spurt has become a yet another divide line in the Polish society and the very initiative has been strongly politicised. I could moan about imperfections of Szlachetna Paczka, but I can definitely assert it is politically neutral. May it stay so.

Sound of silence

The day after the funeral, when the mourning is formally over, though we have still not shaken off the distress, I am publishing translation of a note I posted on my profile on facebook hours after the decease of Mr Adamowicz. May my jumbled (I was stirred by emotions while writing it and with hindsight even it Polish some passages sound clumsy) thoughts on that tragic event be saved here posterity.

Beyond all doubt the public discourse in Poland is filled with evil emotions, manipulations, contempt, at worst with hatred. It is no secret as a society we are divided as never before (once again I was a prophet of doom), while the major divide line is the stance towards the ruling part and its vision of the world. Civilised, mentally healthy people like you and me may detest Mr Tusk, Mr Kaczynski, Mr Schetyna, Mr Brudzinski, Mr Petru, Mr Kukiz or any other politician. We may disapproved of them, if they irritate us, we may take to the streets to voice our protest, we may exercise the right to show our displeasure, but nobody will be harmed. Depending on the side of the divide line we are on, we may read either Gazeta Wyborcza or Gazeta Polska, watch TVN24 or TVPiS, to reinforce our views and pass judgements when the time to cast ballots comes.

Assassin of Mr Adamowicz by all accounts has been mentally ill, one could argue whether at the time of committing the felony he was out of his senses. The words he shouted out on stage after stabbing Mr Adamowicz seem to prove perception of the world of such people is simplified. The reasoning which drove the culprit. towards committing the crime, the causation that he had been imprisoned and tortured by Platforma Obywatelska, the why and wherefore Mr Adamowicz was meant to die, has come to his mind from the outside. Not accidental was also the choice of circumstances and venue of the crime.

Mere three days earlier the public TV had broadcasted a cartoon vilifying WOŚP. One and a half year earlier Młodzież Wszechpolska as part of a “happening” had issued a death certificate to Mr Adamowicz and several other mayors. The investigation on the happening has been discontinued. Another investigation, on nationalists who had hung portraits of European Parliament deputies is still under way, nobody has faced charges, despite the fact faces of criminals are visible on photos (prosecutors are looking for some eye witnesses in the United States). WOŚP and its commander-in-chief have repeatedly been victims of hatred, spilled by politicians of the ruling party and the allied media. Fortunately, the mud-slinging campaign has had the opposite effect and boosted donations to WOŚP.

Finally, Mr Adamowicz several times had been attacked by the media favouring his political opponents. Even on the day of his death „Wiadomości” overstepped boundaries of bad taste, by ignoring the request of Mr Adamowicz’s family and aired an abhorrent anti-PO footage.

I hope this senseless death will give food for thought to many of us, however I lack faith it has positive long-term impact on public discourse in Poland.

This year politicians will pay the bill for the last 4 years. Even if I were to crawl, to go on my knees to the police station, even if somebody was to carry me there, I will cast a ballot to fight for better Poland.

Divided as never before

Not a reassuring post at the start of the new year, yet inspired of my observations made back in 2018. As a nation, Poles appear to be drifting apart in many realms of their lives, moot points are mushrooming, while arguments between opponents get fiercer.

The most vivid divide line which already has torn several families apart and put many friendships to the test is being pro-PiS or anti-PiS, which, if drilled down, is just a touchstone, since people on both sides of the divide line differ in terms of the vision of the world, role of family, society, religion, economy, the state. This topic has however been explored several times and probably deserves to be revisited in the election year.

Just before the Christmas Eve one of the Facebook groups I have been signed up for (Obywatele Ursynowa) was a scene of mud-slinging (the Polish language has invented a new word for worthless, but heated quarrels which is gównoburza) between advocates and opponents of shooting fireworks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’ Day. The former were standing up for tradition of celebrating the turn on the year, the latter pointed at the problem of scared animals which suffer badly that one night. In response the former accused the latter of letting animals cack on pavements and grass and not cleaning up the turds and claimed superiority of humans over animals. Not joining the dispute, which will resurface in late December again, I am against fireworks. Apart from feeling sorry for animals, I believe this is a dangerous (check the number of injuries and fires caused by them) waste of money, therefore I have been glad to learn several cities had abandoned the firework shows during city-staged celebrations.

In a week Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy will play again, for 27th time. Each year, despite the wave of hatred spilling on the event, and its commander-in-chief, WOŚP raises more and more funds for medical aids. The divide line nearly overlaps the pro-PiS / anti-PiS one. Needless to say, I will support WOŚP this year as well, more generously than before, not only to help raise money for medical equipment for children wards in hospitals across Poland, but to spite everyone who wishes to put the initiative down.

In the coming year car-ridden dumbheads will be clashing with cyclists and ecologists, vegans will keep calling meat-eaters murderers, same label as stuck to pro-choice campaigners by pro-life activists and so on and so forth. Individuals will inevitably differ between one another, but it depends on them whether they exploit those differences to enrich the society or harness them as pretext to fight enemies (i.e. those who dare to think differently). All aforementioned disputes have touched upon the limits of human autonomy (yes, the political one as well, if not the most) and where one’s freedom begins to harm others.

Tidings from the remont front next week – much progress to boast of recently!