World Heart Day in Kowala
World Heart Day is held to prevent cardiovascular diseases. It is the day when an important message is communicated: "heart is an important organ, take care of it!" We celebrated World Hear Day in Kowala this year with the motto: See the world through your heart, measure happiness with your heart, give love from your heart, invite joy to your heart.
Three years ago, the Local Welfare Centre in Kowala looked for a proper day in a year when it could emphasize the importance of a kind heart in the human life, and it found such a day and gave its individual meaning to it. This meaning is expressed in the statement: "without other people we are like a body without a heart". The Centre notices that for the disabled children their parents are a heart, without which they could hardly live. This day is the time to thank them for their dedication, smile, perseverance, wisdom and patience in living their lives arm in arm with suffering. This day its Parents who are most important together with their disabled children, because this is their celebration.
The celebration was held in the Public Primary School in Kowala. The host kindly invited all the Guests, including Parents with children and a group of Donors. Those were the people who at one point in their lives decided to give something to another human being in the form of financial support, in-kind donations or devoting their time or making an important decision.
They help because they want to, because they see the need, because they have ... a kind heart. Donors were invited, as their help is appreciated and the need was felt to say thank you. Among the guests there were local government representatives with the Town Mayor Sławomir Stanik. Most of them are also Donors, but also the people who care about supporting different initiatives by shaping the local law and good practices.
Other residents of our community were invited as well. We invited participants of the project implemented by the Association for Supporting the Development of Kowala, who were to present an artistic performance prepared during dancing classes. Mrs Joanna Kutkowska, President of the Association, said a little bit more about this. In addition, the meeting was attended by voluntary workers, the centre's employees and friends. On the Heart Day everybody was warmly welcomed.
The agenda included Heart Surprises such as: heart shows and workshops, heart food, heart thanks and medals for Donors. Finally, a hearty smile as a present with a take-away surprise gift for children.
Miss Karolina Bukalska and Bacelor Filip Majstrak were invited to hand Certificates of Recognition and heart medals to the Donors. To get a medal from the children's hand - what a honour! To thank the Donors, Andżelika Kwiecień, an 18-year-old student from the Radom Technical High School, who sings from childhood and loves singing, sang a song, as she wanted to share her joy with others. After the artistic part, everybody was invited to take part in a workshop. Adult participants were invited to the meeting with a social worker and the centre's manager, while children to an integrating meeting held by educators in the assistance of voluntary workers from the Public Secondary School in Parznice. Adult participants could listen to a presentation on the subject of voluntary work prepared by Mrs Ewelina Strycharska and they got acquainted with the project "Noble Crew", which Kowala is to join this year. Also , parents could meet with a psychologist, Katarzyna Wochniak, during the workshop on the topic of the parents' needs. At the same time, the youngest participants enjoyed themselves and played numerous games prepared by Mrs Aneta Pielas and Mrs Renata Żabicka. The games included doing forward rolls on the mattresses, creating beautiful hearts, artistic dancing and plenty of shared laughter. After the workshop, a dessert was served for the adults and kids, and children received the gifts: white teddy bears or heart pillows packed in beautiful bags. Children were impressed. This is what we wanted to achieve.
The meeting on 28 September is the effect of cooperation between the Local Social Welfare Centre in Kowala and Association for Supporting the Development of Kowala. Thanks to this cooperation we could celebrate together the World Heart Day and completion of the project "Dance unites, teaches..."
