Heifer Poland History
History of Heifer International in Poland goes back to the late forties of the last century. After the Second World War Poland received a valuable gift of heifers and horses from the people of the USA, which was to help our farmers to rebuild their herds of farm animals, which they had lost during the war battles. Many old people in Polish villages still remember that important assistance to the Polish nation, who had been badly affected by many years of cruel war and occupation. Unfortunately, shortly after the war the political situation in Poland changed and Heifer Internationalâ??s support for Polish families had to be discontinued.
Only after political changes in the late eighties it became possible for Heifer International to reestablish its activities in Poland. Economic transformation of the country made situation of farm families extremely difficult. Many village citizens lost their jobs due to collapse of state farms and local enterprises, which had been a source of additional support for small scale farmers before. Secondly, profitability of farming started decreasing dramatically due to significant increase in prices of means of agricultural production. These factors combined with huge inflation and very high unemployment rate contributed to dramatic decrease of living standards of many rural families in Poland.
The first discussions about establishment of HPI representative office for Central and Eastern Europe took place in 1991 during the visit of Dr. Jim De Vries and Ms. Anna Zawada to Poland. Representatives of HPI Head Quarters contacted professor Henryk Jasiorowski, recommended to them by the people who had met him in the USA during his agricultural exchange program for students in 1947. Professor Jasiorowski was an ideal candidate for starting HPI activities in Europe. He had vast knowledge about HPI projects from his ten year-long involvement with FAO. From the very beginning professor Jasiorowski stressed out, that the aim of HPI European programs should have been different if compared with the projects in Africa and Asia. This was because, there was neither starvation nor sever malnutrition in this part of the world. The purpose of HPI assistance, therefore, should have been rather to express international solidarity with the peasants of this region. Emerging from totalitarian system and entering so called transition period farmers in Poland and neighboring countries needed expertise and material assistance as much as encouragement and empowerment.
After many discussions in 1992 Heifer Project International decided to start program for Central and Eastern Europe. Its aim was to help small scale farmers to develop their integrated farms in order to become sustainable. One of the first projects in this part of the world was prepared and implemented in Poland in cooperation with the breeders of Simmental cattle from the Carpathian region. Fame of this project made HPI known to bigger number of people, also in other regions of the country, who started applying for cooperation. In the year of 1998 there were already 10 HPI projects conducted in Poland.
Responding to growing needs of local farmers in 1998 Heifer International opened in Warsaw its representative office for Poland. Its aim is to help the neediest farmers in Poland to overcome difficulties resulted from economic transition through offering them "the gift of animals" and knowledge on how to farm more effectively and how to provide each other with mutual support. Up till now, 58 HPI projects have been initiated in our country. Currently, there are 36 active HPI projects being successfully implemented mainly in southern and eastern parts of Poland.
To achieve its goals Polish office of Heifer International works on the projects in partnership with local authorities, breeders associations, extension centers, universities, animal science institutes, and churches.
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