About Polish Humanitarian Action
Who are we? Who sits on our board?
PAH in figures
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What does PAH do?

We are a Polish non-governmental organisation, operating since 1992. Since 2004, we have also been a public benefit organisation. 

 

We live and breathe humanitarian aid: we are there where support is most needed, operating all over the world. We respond in places where humanitarian crises erupt: natural disasters and armed conflicts. Immediate crisis response is our priority, but we are also concerned with developing long-term solutions and preventing further disasters. 

 

We protect civilians: the most important thing for us is the life and health of others. In our actions, we provide assistance to all who need it. We do not differentiate between parties to a conflict or religious groups, guided by respect for people of different races, nationalities and religions. True, we pay special attention to some, the most vulnerable groups: women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and internally displaced people. With our attitude and decisions, we ensure that the people we help trust us and see our actions as trustworthy. We ensure the quality of our assistance by adhering to the SPHERE standards. We also express our responsibility to the people we help in how we talk about them and our activities. The ethical dimension of our communications is governed by the Code on images and messages concerning countries of the South. 

 

We help responsibly: in our work we remember that we are only a guest there. We look for such forms of action that can become more permanent or those that offer opportunities for development. Our support is tailored to a specific culture and customs of those we help. On-the-ground activities are primarily carried out by local staff from the country in which we operate. We source products, equipment and tools as close as possible to where we operate – so we also support the local economy. The ethical framework for our operations is governed by the Red Cross Code. In countries affected by humanitarian crises, we work with the support of the humanitarian cluster system, which regulates and coordinates activities in the region. This allows our aid to be more effectively suited to the needs and goes where other organisations have not helped yet. It can also be complementary to other organisations operating in the same place. 

 

We educate the public: we target Poles with various social campaigns. We inform about the needs of the people in the countries where we operate, drawing attention to global needs and human rights, such as access to potable water, food, safe shelter and toilets. We engage the public to take an active role in humanitarian aid. We support the organisation of grassroots fundraising and events to raise awareness of the needs of others. We involve Polish schools in national education campaigns: we train children and young people. 

Culture Book

We are delighted to present our first Culture Book! 

 

It is a document that presents the mission, vision and values of our organisation. We sincerely hope that through it you will simply get to know us better! 

Read it!
PAH authorities - Board of Directors
Maciej Bagiński - President of the Board of Directors

He is an old hand at PAH, having worked here since 2009, as a person responsible for financial issues. He has been a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2010. 

 

Prior to becoming President, Maciej worked for many years in key management positions at international corporations and Polish medical and media companies. 

 

He was brought to PAH by his curiosity about the sector and the importance of contemporary world problems. He is particularly close to the issue of poverty, its sources and its consequences for societies and individuals. He believes that humanitarian aid and development cooperation must be based on rational foundations and modern management tools, supported by reflection and belief in the absolute value of every human being. Maciej is an advocate of debate and dialogue in the spirit of tolerance as ways to resolve disputes and conflicts. 

 

He has repeatedly visited countries where PAH has been involved through humanitarian projects, such as South Sudan, Somalia, Turkey, Iraq, Kenya, Ukraine and, most recently, Madagascar. 

 

He holds degrees in philosophy and in economics. He is interested in the philosophy of history and the history of totalitarianism. His hobbies include contemporary painting and his beloved dog, Sven. 

Dorota Serafin -
Vice-President,
Managing Director

She is an experienced manager with many years of experience in strategic consultancy in the NGO sector, business and in the area of management of educational and scientific research institutions. 

 

She joined Polish Humanitarian Action in 2019 as Director of Humanitarian and Development Aid. 

 

In recognition of her achievements, she was entrusted with the position of Managing Director and in 2020 was appointed to the Board of Directors of PAH. Since April 2024, she has held the position of vice-president of the Foundation. 

Katarzyna Górska -
Member of the Board
of Directors

Member of the PAH Board of Directors since 2015. In 2014, she was the managing director of PAH. 

 

She holds a degree in Slavic Studies and Visual Arts Management from New York University. Film and photography producer, curator of photography exhibitions. Founder of Film Republic production studio, producer of many award-winning advertising campaigns. 

Grzegorz Gruca -
Member of the Board
of Directors

With PAH since 1997, always as a member of the Board of Directors, Vice President and, at the beginning, also as Director. He participated in the establishment of PAH regional offices in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Somalia, as well as in humanitarian missions in North Korea. At the Foundation, he focuses on relations with institutional and business partners. He is particularly interested in issues related to the needs and motivations of people to help those in need. 

 

He holds a degree in political science and social sciences in sociology from the Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw. In 1998, he completed a technical cooperation programme under the US Government’s International Development Agency Programme in Emergency Management.  In January 2003. The Prime Minister appointed him as a member of the Advisory Body for Non-Governmental Organisations on the Enlargement of the European Union. From 1995 to 1997, he was a coordinator for contacts with NGOs at the UNHCR in Warsaw. As a natural consequence of helping refugees in Poland, he became involved in humanitarian activities. 

 

His involvement has been recognised both nationally and internationally. Since 2004, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Zagranica Group, which he has represented several times in the General Assembly of the CONCORD development platform. He participated in the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul as a member of the Polish delegation. In 2017, he obtained the title of a certified expert of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. He represents PAH at the VOICE humanitarian platform. In 2017, the Minister of Foreign Affairs awarded him the Bene Merito decoration. In 2024, he was appointed for a four-year term as a member of the Development Cooperation Programme Council of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

Foundation Council
Janina Ochojska

Founder and long-standing President of the PAH Board, currently sits on the Foundation Council. During her stay in France in the 1980s, she was a volunteer with Equi Libre, an organisation providing humanitarian aid to Poles. In 1984, the first shipment of medicines to Poland was launched from France, organised by Alain Michel and Pascal Loulmet, and it was Janina Ochojska who coordinated the distribution of the gifts in Poland, among others. In 1989, the Polish EquiLibre Foundation was also registered, and immediately began to extend its assistance to other countries. In 1992, Janina Ochojska set off with the first shipment of medicines to Sarajevo. On her return, she issues an appeal to Poles to help the civilian population of Sarajevo. She asks for the support of the Poles on the “Radio Three” – the response exceeds her expectations. As a result, the first transport to help the inhabitants of besieged Sarajevo is set off, fully organised by the Poles. The need for Polish society to be proactive led to the establishment of Polish Humanitarian Action in 1994, founded by Janina Ochojska, Tomasz Wilk and Włodzimierz Sarna. Under the banner of Polish Humanitarian Action, Poles were able to have a greater sense of agency – the name finally reflected their need and commitment. 

 

Janina Ochojska was a member of the CERF Advisory Group from 2009 to 2011. She is also a laureate of many prestigious awards, among which the most noteworthy are: the title of ‘Woman of Europe’ awarded by the Commission of the European Communities (1994), the Pax Christi International Peace Award (1995), the Atsuhito Nakata Foundation Award (1996), the Order of the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour awarded by the President of the Republic of France (2003), the Father Józef Tischner Award (2006), the Bene Merito decoration awarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009), and the Lech Wałęsa Award (2010). In 2011, Janina Ochojska was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland by the President of the Republic of Poland. 

 

From 2019, she has been a Member of the European Parliament. 

Włodzimierz Sarna

Co-founder of the Polish Humanitarian Action, member of the Board of the PAH until 2014. In his professional work, he is a lawyer. 

Audit committee
Aleksandra Rezunow
Dariusz Płatek
Paulina Pilch
Henryk Wujec (until 2020 r.)
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