In this interview, foundation board member Marcin Piotrowski discusses the projects undertaken by the non-profit, non-governmental organisation, as well as what motivates him the most.

There are many humanitarian organisations. What is special about the Folkowisko Foundation?

Marcin Piotrowski: We are actually activists and have organised various cultural festivals. Currently, we are one of the main organisations providing humanitarian aid at the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Things were pretty chaotic when the war started, and the authorities had not yet set up any refugee reception centres. My family home was among the first few places where hundreds of people in need found initial refuge: we fed them and gave them a place to stay for the night.

This terrible war is unfortunately still not over, even though we are all completely fed up with it. We are helping the refugees with the last of our strength and are not giving up despite all the difficulties involved: we must not abandon our neighbours to their fate.

What has the EU been doing for Ukraine?
The European Union has demonstrated a resolute, swift and united response to the war in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the invasion, it has imposed massive sanctions, initiated comprehensive relief measures and put together aid packages worth billions. The EU is also committed to reconstruction. Click here for an overview. 

Your "Books not Bombs" project involves collecting Ukrainian-language books and distributing them to Polish schools and libraries. How will books help the Ukrainians in your view?

Piotrowski: Imagine suddenly being forced to leave your country and the people you love. The Ukrainian woman and children now living in Poland desperately miss their homeland. In many cases they don’t speak Polish but are burdened by the experience of war and miss their fathers, husbands, and brothers who were forced to stay behind.

We believe in the healing power of literature. We want to show people a world in which their cities have not been bombed, which is why we collect Ukrainian books and distribute them to schools and libraries where thousands of refugees are housed.

You have set up a humanitarian camp on the Polish side of the Budomierz-Hrushiv border crossing between Poland and Ukraine. What aid do you provide people with there?

Piotrowski: We have been providing aid where it is most needed right from the start and have set up three humanitarian camps at the border, where there are heated tents, sanitation facilities, shelters, and play areas for children. New arrivals can access healthcare at our medical centres. Around a million people were able to cross the border safely with our support and we have helped about 8,000 people in need of medical attention.

We are still there more than a year after the war started. Sometimes people have to wait ten hours or more to pass the border crossing points.

Ever since Russia invaded, Poland has been one of Ukraine's most ardent supporters and it remains the primary destination for Ukrainian refugees. Over 1.6 million refugees have registered for temporary protection in Poland, which provides much needed humanitarian, military, and logistical support. In Poland, Ukrainian refugees are granted legal residence, access to employment, education, health care, and other social benefits.

And last but not least: what has been your most moving experience in your humanitarian efforts since the war began?

Piotrowski: There have been very many emotionally charged moments, particularly in the first few days. We witnessed people's dismay, their fear, their tears, their cries, and their deaths. We saw freezing children and dying old ladies, helpless mothers, children, and animals.

Some children even ask us if we want to be their fathers. We've never experienced such a terrible situation: we used to be a team that organised festivals. We knew how to help children who got themselves lost in the festival area, but we had no idea how to help children who were crying because their fathers had had to go to war.

What moves me most is how hopeful the Ukrainians are. They are extremely grateful, support one another, and are convinced that their country will eventually triumph. What we thought was going to be a sprint has turned out to be a marathon and we have to keep pressing on for a Ukrainian victory.

What do our neighbours think?
Many members of the public throughout Europe are showing solidarity with Ukraine – in the series "What do our neighbours think?" and in no particular order, we are highlighting examples of solidarity and asking what people in our neighbouring countries think about the war. We ask specific questions to illustrate the wide and often differing range of perspectives across Europe. 
Click here to read the initial interview in the series, a conversation with Ruta Prusevičienė, the artistic director of the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra.