Fundacja Inicjatyw Społeczno-Ekonomicznych

Rural Community Animation
In March 2001, for one year, FISE began the Rural Community Animation project which took place in the municipalities of Makow province (Mazowieckie region) and Ketrzyn province (Warminsko-Mazurskie region).

The project was run within the framework of the Rural Initiative programme "Village in Transition" financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation in cooperation with the Rural Development Foundation.

Its aims were to create an environment appropriate for local development, use potential in order to introduce changes to communities in these municipalities, and finally to enhance connections and cooperation taking place in rural areas.

As a result of the consultation processes and workshops led by FISE, local associations and informal groups implemented 14 projects addressed to their communities.

Ketrzyn Province

Barciany Municipality
"Edukacja Inaczej" Association adopted a building formerly used as elementary school in Fraczkow, and created a pottery for use by the Background Activity Centre.

The Informal Group of Initiators "BiiL" from Barciany, took on the task of publishing an "Information Bulletin of Local Initiatives", designed to provide information about local initiatives and to promote a variety of ideas and their possible implementation.

Barcianska Education Initiative set up the Scholarship Programme "Bartek," intended for gifted secondary school students, requiring financial support. The goal of the programme is to provide equal education opportunities for young people from Barciany.

Srokowo Municipality
The Srokowo Association "Success for Every Child" designed the "Bociek" Scholarship Programme, similar to the "Bartek" Scholarship Programme.

Income of this Fair, supported the capital of the Bociek Scholarship Fund, Srokowo 2001

Kętrzyn Municipality
The "Linkowacy" informal group has built two bus stops as part of the "Safe Way to School" project.

The new bus stop in Linkowo village

The "Czarny Kamien" informal group has designed and set up information boards, which present tourist attractions in Czernik and its surroundings.

The "Sami Sobie" informal group established a day-room for local society, which provides amongst others an internet café and fitness club for the local community. The group is now registered as an association.

Internet café in the day-room founded by the "Sami Sobie" group, Smokowo 2003

Makowski Province

Sypniewo Municipality
Female residents from Mamino village, gathered in the Landladies Club, take part in training: "Elements of old Polish cuisine for weekend guests". As a result a receipt book called "Recepturalnik" was written and published.

The Mazovian Entrepreneurship Centre opened an Entrepreneurship Support Hub designed to running training in particular focused on the rural entrepreneurship and alternative sources of income for rural districts. The Hub is registered in schools and non-public institutions. The Computer Internet Navigators Club has emerged as a result.

The student's Sport Club "Bad Boys" has two sections: bicycles, which blazed a trial for bike activity and a rifle one, which conducted air rifle workshops.

Student's Sport Club "Bad Boys" bike rally, Sypniewo 2001

The folk ensemble Gasewianka developed by the Landladies Club in Gasawa bought performance costumes, participated in workshops conducted by a choreographer and collected folk songs of the region.

2003

The Mazovian Entrepreneurship Centre from Makowski Province became a local leader in its region. Therefore, in 2003 we decided to continue our work in Ketrzyn Province.

In March 2003 we reorganised the project, introducing new goals:
- to increase the activities of each group,
- to convince the groups to work in a partership,
- to show them how to apply for European funds,
- to develop co-operation with foreign partners.

Information meeting, Linkowo 2003

Activities that took place during the project.

The historical team "Barcja" operated by the "Barcianska Educational Initiative" Association set a historical sketch, presenting the origin of the "Barcianska Hag" and built a stone sculpture. This figure is to become an element of local identity and a starting point for youth historical education.

The Barcianska Educational Initiative" coordinated the coalition project "Let us meet each other closer", in cooperation with Kaliningrad Oblast. Its aim was to meet one other and build contacts, which are inevitable in joint projects.

The Srokowo "Success for Each Child" Association became a main partner and leader of this project. It prepared an information board to exchange information about children oriented projects, implemented in the municipality.

We have collaborated in Kętrzyn Municipality with three partners:
- "Sami Sobie" Association from Smokow. The organisation built a children playground.
- Members of the Linkowiacy Group created a place on a nearby field for residents and tourists leisure.  They levelled the ground, fenced it and built benches and tables.
- The "Black Stone" Group from Czerniki, continued to improve the village layout by placing dustbins and tidying the market square in the village centre.

All project activities were finished on 15 September 2003.