The “A policeman, firefighter or soldier died for you, but for me he was Dad” campaign is another initiative by the foundation, which supports children whose parents died or were injured while on duty—including the children of firefighters, police officers, soldiers and mountain rescuers. The campaign aims to show that behind every uniform is a person who would like to return home to their loved ones after work. Unfortunately, sometimes they do not return…
“Whenever we hear in the news about the death of a public-service officer, at the Foundation we know that someone’s world has just collapsed,” says Magdalena Pawlak, head of the Dorastaj z Nami Foundation. “A partner, father or husband is gone—often the family’s sole breadwinner. Behind media reports of a tragedy, hidden in the words ‘he left behind a wife and children…’, there is much more than what is conveyed through the media. Through their everyday work, these people risked their lives for the common good of us all, and we want to remind people that being a firefighter, soldier, police officer or rescuer is not an ordinary job, but a mission serving the good of every one of us. Let us therefore remember the children of those who did not return home from work. Caring for them is the best way to say ‘thank you’.”
She adds:
The campaign presents stories we know from news services and newspapers from a different, private perspective. On the Foundation’s website (www.dorastajznami.org), we can learn more about the stories of the deceased heroes—the parents of the Foundation’s beneficiaries. We can find out about their passions, how they spent their free time and what their children miss most about them. We can see what kind of people they were in everyday life.
The campaign includes television and radio advertisements using genuine archival footage reporting on accidents involving public services. In the advertisements, this footage is contrasted with a family—private—narrative. In one advertisement, we hear the voice of a girl named Monika, whose father, a police officer, was killed during a police intervention after being stabbed by juvenile hooligans. Monika and her sister Krysia were only a few years old at the time.
Facebook activities have also been planned as part of the campaign. The Dorastaj z Nami Foundation offers its beneficiaries educational, psychological and personal-development support, as well as help entering the job market. An educational adviser plays a special role: they support a given family for many years, remain present through successive stages of the beneficiary’s development and help precisely define the direction of the support provided. The Foundation also supports adult family members by organising workshops, publishing guides and initiating integration activities. The Foundation’s beneficiaries can count on help every day—as long as the child is studying, even up to the age of 25.
M. Pawlak:
We realise that we cannot give a child back their parent or replace them completely, but we can accompany the child as they grow up—provide psychological help, support with learning, help them discover and develop their passions, and advise them on planning their professional path. We want to ease, at least to some extent, the absence of a beloved parent.