Ewa Sadowska

Chief Executive of Barka for Mutual Help Ireland

Ewa Sadowska is a member of the Barka Foundation Board of Trustees and the Chief Executive of Barka for Mutual Help Ireland and Barka UK.

Ewa graduated from Palmer High School in Colorado, USA; has a master degree in Ethno- linguistics at the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, Poland and post graduate degree in social economy management from Warsaw University. She grew up in Barka communities established by her parents Barbara and Tomasz Sadowski in 1989. From March 1995 until December 2003 Ewa worked as International Contacts’ Coordinator at Barka Foundation for Mutual Help. In 2003 Ewa was a Planning Officer in the Population and Community Development Association PDA in Bangkok, Thailand.

In November 2000 she participated in traineeship at Grameen Bank, Dhaka, Bangladesh in microfinance and capacity-building consulting services – innovative solutions to global poverty led by Mohammad Yunus, the winner of Nobel Prize in 2006.

Since June 2007 Ewa has been coordinating Network of Barka Projects for Economic Migrants’ Integration in Western Europe. In March 2008 the World Economic Forum announced Ewa Sadowska a Young Global Leader 2008.

E-mail: ewa.sadowska@barkaie.org

Aneta Kubas

Assistant of the Leader

Aneta has worked with Barka since 2019. Her main tasks include:
– Performing admin office tasks (handling e-mail/fax/postal correspondence),
– Support the leader with delivering the project of assisting homeless citizens of Central and Eastern Europe
–Translations
– Purchasing plane tickets for clients and producing relevant paperwork
– Requesting Eastern European Consulates based in Dublin to issue temporary passports for clients to be reconnected
– Registering clients as homeless with Dublin City Council
– Advising clients in need via telephone/e-mail
– Advising Irish institutions and organizations on BARKA activities, taking referrals.
Aneta has 15 years of experience in leading a non-profit organization. She is the chairperson of Charity Biblary – Polish Community Centre and Library and a board member of Forum Polonia.
Contact: +353874542653, E-mail: aneta.kubas@barkaie.org

Tomasz Flinik

Barka’s Leader

For the last 20 years, Tomasz has been involved in Barka’s different projects. In 2005-2023 he was the chairman of Barka Community Integration Association. He was responsible for the community house for 80 persons and was also involved in projects with the Department of Work, Department of Justice; local governments and EU.
In 2014 Tomasz was elected a councillor of Kwilicz Municipal Council.
Since 2018 Tomasz has worked as a leader (street worker) in Barka’s foreign projects in Reykjavik, London, and Dublin.
Contact: +353868396276

Board of Trustees

Bernadette Cassidy

I am from County Kilkenny. Most of my working life was spent as an accountant in London. During my spare time, I enjoyed chatting with people who were homeless as I helped with Soup Runs from the
Jesuit Church in Stamford Hill, and with the preparation of meals for the Homeless at the Catholic Church in Stoke Newington. Later through the work of St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, I was privileged to accompany some wonderful families who struggled stoically with disabilities and addictions.
I also helped with Catechesis, and obtained a degree in Pastoral Theology with a view to being a better Catchiest, but that led to a change of career from a 9 to 5 Accountant in London to a 24/7 Hospital Chaplain in Hertfordshire. About this time, following a pilgrimage to Poland and a number of God-Instances, I heard of this Polish Charity which was invited to London by the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to provide help with the many East Europeans who came looking for work, but ended up homeless on the streets. I had a house, and this Charity needed one, there began my association with Barka.
Contact: +447939634696, E-mail: bernadette.cassidy@zen.co.uk

Magdalena Chwarścianek

Director of Barka for Mutual Help Ireland and Managing Director of Barka Netherlands

Has been sharing her management expertise and knowledge with Barka in Ireland through her involvement with the Board of trustees.
Contact: +31646341843
E-mail: magdalena.chwarscianek@barka.org.pl

Dagmara Szlandrowicz

Director

Has been involved with Barka in Ireland since 2007.
Currently works at Barka headquarters in Poznan (Poland).
Contact: +48661726936,
E-mail: dagmara.szlandrowicz@barka.org.pl