Integration · Psychosocial support · Emergency response · Child protection
Here when
it counts.
With care and urgency. In the real.
Vela Poland was founded in 2022 to stand with the people who fled the war in Ukraine — and has grown into a Kraków-based humanitarian foundation working with refugees, migrants and vulnerable Poles alike.
From the Aurora Community Centre in Kraków we run Polish classes, social consultations, psychosocial support and the Nook community kitchen; across Poland we respond to emergencies and lead an EU-wide effort against child trafficking.
In numbers
Source: Vela Poland monthly dashboard, August 2026, and Annual Report 2025.
What we do
From first aid to a new start
Aurora Community Centre — Kraków
The heart of our work: a safe, welcoming space where refugees, migrants and neighbours learn Polish, get one-to-one support, cook together and build a community.
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Razem Możemy Więcej 2026 — work and integration for foreigners
A national programme, led by Vela with three partners, helping nearly 2,000 foreigners in Poland into work: career counselling, certified vocational courses, Polish classes and a Labour Law Academy.
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SafeBorders — against child trafficking, across the EU
An EU Internal Security Fund project strengthening judges, prosecutors, police and frontline workers in ten countries — with Vela leading capacity building in Poland and the roll-out of a privacy-preserving AI platform.
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Psychosocial support — Starlight and mobile MHPSS teams
Psychologists, social workers and child protection officers reaching families in collective shelters and community centres in Kraków, Warsaw and Wrocław — since 2022, with UNICEF and now the HOPE Project.
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Emergency response — floods in Lower Silesia
When Storm Boris flooded south-western Poland in September 2024, our team made seven relief trips to Kłodzko and Lądek-Zdrój, reaching 184 families and six shelters with food, household goods, heating and children's shoes.
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Strengthening local initiatives
We share our know-how with Polish grassroots organisations — training the Hope Foundation in Przemyśl on safeguarding and operations, co-running community centres, and showing up at the city's job fairs and picnics.
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News
Fundacja Vela Annual Report 2025
In 2025 Vela Poland continued to stand alongside displaced and vulnerable children — here is the full report.
Call for tenders — SafeBorders AI Intelligence Suite
SafeBorders launched a tender for privacy-preserving AI tools supporting the prevention and prosecution of human trafficking, with a focus on children.
First SafeBorders Stakeholders' Meeting in Warsaw
Government agencies, law enforcement, civil society and academia met on 30 June to discuss child trafficking in Poland and the role of AI.
Our vision
We move fast, work smart, and stay rooted where it matters — across crisis, recovery, and inclusion.
A humanitarian organisation led by local teams, guided by evidence, and grounded in trust.