about Us
Our Strength
Is in Diversity
For over 13 years we have been giving children and their parents the opportunity to develop and find their passion. And we are proud of it.
Manifesto
We believe that a world in which people, despite their own particular goals, views and values, are ready to cooperate for the benefit of their community is possible. We are convinced that people have the potential to bring about change and create a reality that enables their self-development. This potential, however, needs to be brought out, channelled and learned to be shared. Therefore, in order to achieve this goal, we are guided by 5 main values: cooperation, self-development, social responsibility, exchange of knowledge, openness to others.
Varietae Fundation
The Varietae Foundation is a non-governmental organization, founded on December 30th, 2008 in Poznań by Anna Lis and Tomasz Sobol – now a married couple. Since its beginnings, the organization has been operating as a hobby – its members conduct it as additional duties outside of their professional work. Although, as the founders say, it does not mean that in the future the Foundation may be a workplace – like foreign NGO’s organizations.
Name and Idea of the organization
The name of the organization is not accidental. It comes from Latin from the word varietae, varietes – which means various, diverse.
From the very beginning, the name was supposed to reflect the foundation’s idea, which is undertaking various activities in cooperation with various people. Thanks to diversity it is possible to get to know oneself and others, to discover one’s own abilities and skills. Without reference to something different there is no cognition, no basis for building one’s own value – because it is difficult to notice, for example, that some of our behaviors are not socially acceptable until we meet people with a different point of view and values.
In diversity we should see learning, self-improvement and discovery. And through this art we become richer.
Board of the Foundation |
We bring different worlds together
Board of the Foundation | We bring different worlds together
The Foundation Board consists of four people.
Tomasz Sobol – President / Founder of the Foundation
Anna Sobol – Member of the board / founder of the Foundation
Ewelina Pilch – Member of the board
Magdalena Kowalczyk – Member of the Board
For whom does the foundation work?
In the initial phase of its activity, the organisation focused on activities targeted at children and young people – offering them opportunities to develop their own talents and passions – through participation in various cultural projects, local initiatives and international exchanges. One of the Foundation’s best known projects in Poznań was the organisation of the 1st and 2nd birthday parties of the St. Jordan’s Bridge in Śródka, before its revitalisation.
Szamotuly
In 2012. The Foundation was moved to Szamotuły, where it has been operating until today. The change of the seat did not change the aims of the organisation. Only the target group of the recipients was modified – it became the smallest and at the same time the most important social group – the family.
Foundation known in Poland and abroad
Through a number of original projects, such as “Daddy – Play with Me”, “In the Castle Courtyard”, “Green Corners in Szamotuly” or “Parents are SA (Social Animators), the Foundation has built a strong community of families able to independently solve their problems and satisfy their own and society’s needs (material, educational, cultural). The result of these activities are newly established associations, whose members and activists often gained their first experience under the guidance of the Varietae Foundation.
Draw strength from
the diversity of activities
To inspire people to take
an active role in daily life
and self-organization
To draw strength from diversity
“It is madness to keep doing the same thing and expect different results” – Albert Einstein
To inspire people to be proactive in their daily lives and self-organize to overcome challenges and meet needs.
Since the beginning, we have had the same, unchanging goal. It is to initiate bottom-up activities and build strong social capital in small communities.
Our activities are focused on learning to cooperate, discovering one’s own talents, cultivating cultural identity, tolerance and the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage