HELP FOR POLISH CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 47, 24 February 1945, Page 6

HELP FOR POLISH CHILDREN

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —May I ask for the favour of space in your columns to record a very deep debt of gratitude from our Polish children to the people of New Zealand, and also to give some information as to what New Zealand people have already done for these children.

To co-ordinate all the good will and help of the New Zealand people and organisations, the Polish Children's Hospitality Committee was convened by the Prime Minister. It comprises delegates from all big organisations under the presidency of Mrs. Fraser, with Mr. C. G. White as vice-chair-man and Miss Malempre as honorary secretary. Everyone who saw the children arrive understood that what they needed was not only material care, but all the help that kindness and friendliness could give them. The care, accommodation, food, medical help, and incredible kindness with which these children have been surrounded have already in this short time worked simply miracles. There are moments, such as when mail is dis-f tributed to the few lucky ones who have fathers and brothers fighting in Italy, when one sees the tragedy of their grief and loneliness in the eyes of the many who have nobody left to them, or whose parents are still detained in concentration camps on faraway steppes; but except for these interludes one is confronted with a normal, healthy, eager crowd of happy children. They are so vitally grateful for everything, and respond to every sign of kindness shown them with such happiness, that perhaps this could be some reward to the many who have so generously contributed to this amazing transformation.

Practically all these children arrived without any clothing suitable for the New Zealand climate, and what subtropical clothing they had was of very poor quality. The Government and people of New Zealand, through the Polish Children's Hospitality Committee, the New Zealand Red Cross, Lady Galway Guild, Girl Guides, other organisations, and schools, and also through the kindness of many private persons have already succeeded in providing every child in the camp with two complete outfits, with spares in some items.

There is one very important avenue which could now be opened up, and for which we have already many offers—that of personal contacts between our children and young New Zealanders. The first step towards this is in the formation of pen-friendships. Until now this has been impossible, as our children did not know any English, but now they have excellent teachers of English, and I think if each centre of youth organisations such as the New Zealand Junior Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and Girl Guides, would adopt one pen-friend, it would be a most valuable beginning. We have to keep in mind that there are in the camp only 350 children at present of suitable age for writing letters, for the rest are little children.

The second link would be invitations for holidays, for which we have also already a number of inquiries. We propose that in the May holidays a hundred children, with their respective teachers or guardians, be allowed to accept invitations to New Zealand homes. Will the many who have so kindly interested themselves in this please get in touch with Miss Malempre, to whose co-operation, past and present, our Polish children are much indebted. Her address is Secretary of the Polish Children's Hospitality Committee, 190 Lambton Quay Wellington, C.l (G.P.O. Box 123).

Again with my warm thanks to all who have shown our Polish children so much good will and kindness.—l am, etc.,

MARIA WODZICKA, Delegate of the Polish Red Cross in New Zealand.