Last weekend, Barka UK participated in the 2nd Barka Network Leaders and Streetworkers’ Meeting, entitled “Thankful for the Path,” which took place at the Barka Community Integration Association in Chudobczyce.
Around 80 delegates, including Barka Leaders and Streetworkers from Poland and abroad, staff representatives of Barka HQ in Poznan and Barka programmes in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Canada came to meet for 2 days to discuss education and development of Leaders and Streetworkers and to listen to Leaders’ testimonies, exchange experiences and ideas on helping people how to rebuild their lives.
Barka Leaders and Streetworkers, people who experienced sometimes many years of being homelessness, addicted and who turned their lives around, are teaching us all that everything is possible and every situation, as difficult as it can be, can be resolved in a positive way.
This year’s Meeting has been very special, as the Barka Network Leader and Streetworker Code was presented. The document is based on Barka’s philosophy and 37 years of experience and was developed over past 15 months through monthly Zoom meetings with Leaders and Streetworkers.
First day of the meeting consisted of a number of workshops in which both Barka Leaders and Barka staff participated discussing various parts of the Code and also development plans for Barka Leaders. The suggested topic for the latter workshop was among other creating a role of Navigator for this group and creating Academy for Leaders which would serve as an additional education tool for their development.
One of the most interesting and relevant panels for the audience was pertaining to Barka Leaders working abroad and their return to Poland: how the adaptation process takes place, what is important in this process from the point of view of both mental and physical health of a Leader.
Day Two of the event started with ceremonial reading of the Leader’s Code and presentation of certificates for each Leader and Streetworker.
Next, a very interesting panel, moderated by Piotr Smigielski, one of the Barka Leaders opened up a floor for more discussions: Is the crisis a failure or a turning point when recovering from alcohol addiction?
One of the important themes of the discussion panels during the event were crisis situations: how to overcome addiction, how to cope with challenges, how to prepare Barka Leader for work abroad, help them during crisis and to adjust to every day life after coming back from abroad.
During the weekend, Barka Leaders and Streetworkers also underlined an importance of further education and personal development which would not only benefit them directly, but also help other people in Poland and abroad.
The growth plan for the Leaders and Streetworkers group for the next 3 years was discussed, which will focus on developing support structures and further education for the Leaders and Streetworkers, including the Leaders and Streetworkers Academy.
To summarise the event, we can say that the 2 days of panel discussions, workshops, discussions in smaller groups (not to mention numerous beautifully prepared meals and coffee breaks!) showed us that Barka community spirit lives in every and each of us.
