Interview with Małgorzata Langer-Kaczmarczyk – Director of Lovicz Hostel, belonging to Partners – an integral part of the Partnerspol Group. The Group was founded in 1995 by Riccardo Caruso and Umberto Magrini. The Group’s companies provide logistics services: transport, warehousing, co-packing and international trade. Beyond business, the owners ensure that the company fulfils its social mission. Partnerspol Group participates and gets involved in cultural events, charities, local initiatives, supporting and helping those in need at various levels.
How did the hostel become a shelter for war refugees?
One of the Partners’ branches is located in Łowicz, where workers from Ukraine have been employed since the establishment. The owners of the company decided to take care of people who leave their families and homes for months. Therefore, the decision was made to purchase a hostel to provide Partners’ employees with the best possible living conditions.
What’s the history of the building and why exactly this place was chosen for accommodation?
In the past, the building served as a dormitory and a hotel. There were dormitory-style rooms, without bathrooms. The owners of PartnersPol Group bought the building and renovated it to create comfortable accommodation for their employees. The hostel provides accommodation for up to 300 people – large enough to accommodate the Ukrainian workers who needed it. Even before the Ukrainian war period, all rooms had been renovated and equipped with separate bathrooms and refrigerators. A shared kitchen was designed and well equipped, allowing 12 people to cook at the same time. There are also separate rooms such as a dining room, laundry room, library and common areas for relaxation. On each floor there’s a lounge equipped with sofas, table, chairs, television and all the necessary stuff to make yourself hot drinks.
How did you become involved in the project to help workers and refugees from Ukraine?
I graduated in geography with hospitality management major. After graduating, I worked in a three-star hotel in Łódź, then moved to Łowicz and was employed at Partners. I took up the position of reception supervisor, which is combined with administrative duties. As my career progressed within the company, as the Hostel Manager I took on the responsibility of running this particular and other projects concerning the hostel.
Since February 2022, the hostel has served as refugee shelter. How many people have you taken in?
There are 164 people living here at the moment, including children. In the very beginning there were 188. When the war broke out, our staff experienced drama. Hearing of war outbreak, one of the workers from Ukraine had a heart attack. Fortunately, this happened in my presence, so I was able to react quickly and nothing more serious had happened. Others wanted to go to their families; after all, they had left their wives, husbands and children there. It was then that Mr Umberto and Mr Riccardo took the decision to provide a hostel for the families and children of our employees and anyone else who needed shelter. Polish Partners’ employees would go out and be on duty at the border, bringing 15 people each, and the car was always too small to take everyone in need. One evening, the colleagues brought a mother with 8 children, including 1.5-year-old twins. There were situations where someone wanted to come back. We happened to drive 3 ladies back to Ukraine and picked up more families on our way back. At that time, we were practically available 24 hours a day, the drivers exchanged and the hostel staff organised space for the next arrivals. The bosses exempted the Ukrainian nationals from all accommodation fees. We provided them with food and all the necessary hygiene items, clothes, cosmetics, underwear to start with.
We are being reached by people equipped with only essentials. One woman arrived with her entire life’s savings, now worth just up to PLN 3,000. It should be taken into account that costs of living in Poland are different to those in Ukraine. People from the poorest regions, mainly from those already affected by the conflict since 2014, are now Lovicz Hostel residents. Since they have been here, no one can predict whether it will last another year, two or three, making them live in a sense of constant uncertainty.
There are also people who have nowhere to return to, because their homes have been demolished. One lady who used to work for us, supported her whole family in Ukraine by sending them money. Now mother, children, grandmother, grandfather are all with us. Many of them don’t know the language, have no employment history, experience of living abroad, or education necessary to rebuild their lives in Poland without outside help and support. Among these people are also teachers, doctors, mathematicians, psychologists and many others qualified in their own country, who unfortunately cannot continue jobs in their professions at the level they have achieved without the Polish language. One lady who was a head teacher at a school in Ukraine has been involved with the children who live in the Hostel. Although she had to leave her adult children in Ukraine, who couldn’t come here, she devotes her time and gives her whole heart to her new pupils. We are very encouraged by this attitude and the whole company expresses its admiration for how people who need help and care in this reality, are able to give support and real love for others in need. Also the children, despite being in need themselves, get involved in helping others. They recently took part in a charity event for a disabled boy (a Pole) living in Łowicz.
Do women and children prevail among the refugees?
Definitely. Mostly they are mums with children, although there are whole families too. We have a gentleman who used to work for Partners before the war, and for many days we fought together to make his wife and daughter cross the border and reach our the hostel safely. Fortunately, we succeeded. We have secured employment for many people in warehouses and production. These are mainly ladies, but the work isn’t hard, it’s rather repetitive, ideal even for women at the retirement age. Since the war, we have been making every effort to get Ukrainian mothers into work. They alone have to provide for their children, because their husbands have stayed fighting on the front lines. Unfortunately, some mothers are unable to work because of their very young children, or children requiring special care. We have also taken those very ill or disabled. We provided them with the necessary medical care. We have set up a nursery on the hostel premises so that mothers can work and have time for themselves. A library, a psychologist’s room, a computer lab, a children’s playroom and a music hall are also at everyone’s disposal.
What kind of help have Ukrainians received from the Partners company?
First guests were admitted to the Hostel directly after the war outbreak. During this period and for the last year and a half, we have been doing everything possible to make the facility as suitable as possible for everyday life for mothers with children. From the very first days, extra-curricular activities for children (learning Polish) and in-house language lessons for adults were organised. A library and a computer lab were first to adapt within the hostel. A priority was to organise a separate kitchen and canteen for mothers with children. Many companies helped us by providing food and necessities. This also made us create a pantry to store all the supplies. Psychological support was very important, especially in that direct period after the war outbreak, when the whole situation was an unimaginable shock to everyone. Both adults and children were taken care of, and we prepared a room dedicated to meetings with a psychologist, so that discussions could take place in a private, comfortable and calm environment.
In the beginning we had a ping pong table donated by Riccardo from his home and a popcorn machine donated by Umberto. Over time, we were able to prepare a whole playroom for the children, and in the spring, with the kind help of people of goodwill, we equipped an outdoor playground. Of course, much of this would not have been possible to achieve without the support of external companies and organisations as well as our clients and customers, which is why it is so important to get as many people involved as possible. We would particularly like to thank the AVSI Poland and Lions Club Warsaw Centrum organisations for their cooperation.
On behalf of the Ukrainian refugees and the Partners company, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people involved. We kindly ask you to continue your support, because, despite the time going by, the situation has not become less dramatic than it was at the very beginning. All families, mothers with children, need the same support and interest in their fate.
How many inhabitants live in Łowicz? Have you received support from the city?
The city’s population is around 40,000. In the beginning everyone helped us, doctors providing medical assistance, but also individuals and companies, everyone joined in. The mayor has delegated a person responsible for Ukrainian children in the Łowicz area and we’ve been constantly working together. Whenever actions, activities at the swimming pool or in “Ognik” – educational hall of the State Fire Service are organised, we are taken into consideration. Recently the PCK (Polish Red Cross) organised a Children’s Day for mothers with children at the Polonia restaurant. The students of the University of the Third Age (U3A) held their classes. We also organised Polish and English language trainings. New people are constantly arriving, so we need to start language classes again. We also cooperate with MOPS (Social Welfare Centre).
How do mothers from Ukraine cope with this situation?
From the very beginning, we provide them psychological support. These women always have at the back of their minds their husbands, fathers or grandfathers fighting at the front lines. For those who have nowhere to go back, the problem of self-esteem, of not having a place for themselves, is getting worse and worse. Mums go to work, come back, prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner, take care of their children and that’s it. There is no room for themselves for a while. It is important to remember that whatever the situation, these are women who need to have a sense of self-worth, a sense of development and a chance for a better future. We are currently looking for opportunities to participate in projects like this, enabling us to help the refugees of Lovicz Hostel to become self-sufficient, so that they can live outside our facility, work, develop and rebuild their lives.
Would trainings be useful?
They would be very useful, both in the field of HR and dedicated for women to make them feel better, but also art workshops for children.
Thanks to Umberto, we attended the Eros Ramazzotti concert in Lodz. I took some people along. The mums got groomed, dressed, and with make-ups on their faces, they left everything behind, felt normal life for a while. It was a very special moment for all of us.
Is it possible to organise a rock concert here?
Absolutely, the children love rock music. We even have drums and a piano in stock, musically gifted children are able to practice here. We had two teenagers who commuted to the music school.
What are the most important needs?
We simply need funds to keep it all going. I won’t tell the children to turn off the lights and sit by candlelight. The cost of living has increased significantly: electricity, water, food. We have almost 200 people on the premises who need food, clothes and simply live day after day.
What did you learn during this year?
I think it has shown that there is no issue that cannot be dealt with, no thing that cannot be done. It’s important how we deal with situations taking us by surprise, cause only then we really get to know ourselves. For me, the greatest joy is to see how these children have made huge progress in a year and a half.
We make no secret of the fact that we count on the support and cooperation of the Charisma and Vocation Group members.
After all, everyone has their own powers! t
Dorota Kolano
Beata Sekuła
