Building Bridges: Towards an Intercultural Understanding
Between East Africa and Poland
During World War II, up to 20,000 Polish refugees (predominantly women and children) upon their evacuation from the Soviet Union found refuge in the countries of East Africa: Uganda, Kenya and Tanganika (today’s Tanzania). The local communities welcomed them with kindness and warmth. Today the story is little known in Poland, but the memory of the Polish refugees in Africa is still alive. Our project aims to restore memory of an important page in Polish and Ugandan history and contribute to a social climate of openness and intercultural empathy.
EXHIBITION
The mobile exhibition (also available online) presents the history of the Polish refugees in East Africa, with a special focus on Uganda. It includes unique photos taken at the former settlement of the Polish refugees in the village of Nyabyeya near Masindi, the capital of the historic kingdom of Bunyoro, where until today there is a Polish cemetery and a church built by the refugees. The exhibition also showcases additional information about historical links between Uganda and Poland going back to the 19th century. The exhibition is available in English and Polish as well as Runyoro (the language of the Banyoro ethnic group living in the Masindi region).
WORKSHOPS
The accompanying workshops are based on a toolkit prepared in the frames of the project. During the workshops, the history and reminiscences of the Polish refugees in Africa are presented alongside the contemporary experiences of Africans in Poland, based on data collected by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association. During interactive sessions, the participants are encouraged to reflect on the issues of refugees, migration, intercultural communication as well as counteracting racism and xenophobia. The participants receive educational materials inspiring them to further study these issues. The attractive workshops are designed for participants of all ages and levels of education.
The project has been conducted by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association in cooperation with the Rotary Peace Center at the Makerere University, Kampala (Uganda).
