Melodies of Inclusion: Rzeszów Music Festival Fosters Community

IOM Poland's Integration Center in Rzeszów, in partnership with the Germanitas Foundation, hosted a music festival with a meaningful goal: bringing together Ukrainians residing in Poland and local residents, uniting them through the universal language of music. 

Despite the rain, around 100 people gathered at the festival. Raindrops fell, but it seemed like they only enhanced the music's charm, infusing a warm and cozy atmosphere into the event, bringing smiles to participants' faces. Attendees, undeterred by the weather, enthusiastically participated in a series of activities and workshops designed to transcend language barriers and forge connections through the universal language of music. 

IOM provides Polish language courses, job counselling, psychological support and social activities at the integration centre in Rzeszów. Since March 2022, IOM has assisted approximately 900 people. Currently 120 refugees attend language courses and take part in job counselling, increasing their chances of securing a job.

From the stage a beautiful voice resonated. The 13-year-old Masha from Dnipro performed the song “Najlepszy Dzień w Moim Życiu” (The Best Day of My Life) by the Polish singer Sanah, captivating the audience with her talent.

Masha has been taking vocal lessons for a year. She quickly learned Polish, goes to school every day and aspires to make a career as a professional singer. Masha dreams of returning to Ukraine one day when the war is over. 

Masha's mom Liliia, came with her daughter to Poland just after the war broke out in Ukraine, forcing them to leave their hometown Dnipro at the East. With the concurrent movement of thousands displaced by the conflict, the journey became difficult. Even in western Ukraine, near the border, it became challenging to secure accommodations, as the entire region was filled with people escaping the war. Finally on March 1, 2022, they successfully crossed the border into Poland.

Liliia took Polish language courses at Germanitas and was offered a job as a social worker. Liliia looks after kids, while parents attend Polish classes. In addition, she is pursuing a new career in Poland as an administration technician.  

At the music festival, participants enthusiastically joined hands in dance, celebrating the shared joy of music and the beauty of diversity. The rain, once perceived as an obstacle, became a metaphorical cleansing, washing away barriers and fostering a sense of community.

“I believe that this event was a great example of building up of community. We’ve seen children of all ages playing music together and having fun, regardless of their origin.We need more such activities for teenagers, who are often left behind or struggle to find their way in a new place” said Krzysztof Krajcarz, IOM Poland Child Protection Coordinator.

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, the Podkarpacie region has been a key point of access to security for displaced people from Ukraine. Rzeszów, located 100 kilometers from the borders, has turned into a strategic hub for the provision of assistance by international organisations and NGOs. Since 24 February 2022 nearly 100,000 individuals in the Podkarpacie region have benefited from different forms of assistance. IOM monitors the situation at the border and assesses the conditions of reception centers and collective sites, collects data on the most urgent needs of people, provides direct humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable, and supports local and national authorities and actors across Poland in scaling and developing their capacities and activities in support of migrants and refugees.  

 The music festival was made possible with support from the German Federal Foreign Office.