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German-Polish-Ukrainian Society

(Deutsch-Polnisch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft e.V.)

Literally millions of children are at risk in the war zones of Ukraine. We are helping those most urgently in need. Since the beginning of the war we evacuate orphans to safe places in the European Union, through the SAVE the KIDS program.

In times of peace we support the democratic and economic transformation taking place in the countries of Eastern Europe. We set up “Our Kids” centre in Kyiv to rescue and rehabilitate street kids and orphans. They are now safe and well in Poland.

Founded in 1995, the Society is based in Berlin.

Letter from the Founder

Understanding and reconciliation were important to me from the very beginning. As a native of Poland I soon learnt to love and value Germany as my second home. My positive experience of this country aroused in me the desire to help Germany and Poland to develop a closer relationship with each other. After 10 years of voluntary work for Poland I decided that my country no longer needed help but was in the position to provide aid to others. It was time for a joint project.

The best way to get to know people is to work together with them for a good cause. In 1995 we developed a project which aimed to support the transformation process in the four countries on Poland’s eastern border. By chance, just after the millennium this project turned into an aid program for children. This initially triggered in Ukraine. During one of our seminars for eastern European journalists in Warsaw a young man from Kyiv told me about the street kids in his home town. He had grown up in this world. Two month later we went in Kyiv together to see these kids. The cruel fate of these children left me deeply moved. I will never forget what I saw there. I promised the children a house where they could live together. That was the birth of “Our Kids” in 2001.

Vision

To develop private initiative and civic competencies as essential underpinnings in building a true democratic society, engaging especially the young generation as future key players​

 

Mission

To support civil society formation in post-communist countries within appropriate regulatory frameworks, to promote social and community values, and to create competencies for sustainable development

Lines of Work

To develop private initiative and civic competencies as essential underpinnings in building a true democratic society, engaging especially the young generation as future key players

Promoting good practices for private civil society initiatives

Transfer of knowledge and information on contemporary social, ecological and political problem-solving by civil society organizations world-wide, which have proven to be innovative and effective

Preparing adequate country-specific regulations and guidelines for the organisation and management of civil-society organisations

Organising conferences and seminars with the participation of international partners, involving them in the building process of democracy in Eastern European countries

Giving priority to education and innovative training courses for young people as a main tool for the development of beneficial social and political structures in post-communist countries

About Us

The German-Polish-Ukrainian Society (GPUS) supports the democratic and economic transformation taking place in the countries of Eastern Europe. The Society, formerly the German-Polish Society for Eastern Europe, was founded in 1995 as an international non-profit organization under German law. It is based in Berlin in Germany. To provide disadvantaged children in Ukraine with a new home in a family-like environment, we started a small German-Polish project in 2001. Today it is a reference project for other NGO`s, Public Private Partnerships and energy-efficient projects for all Eastern Partnership countries. We have become an international for closer cooperation with the European Union. Our large objective is to improve the situation of children, young people and families in vulnerable life circumstances.