Promoting Sphere humanitarian standards in Eastern Europe 

Sphere Standards is the international language of humanitarian aid. I am proud that I managed to start relations with Sphere which led to effective cooperation, and now for us to becoming the Sphere standards focal point in Poland. I am sure that the knowledge we provide together helps local actors to support refugees in the most professional way.

Sphere’s partnership with the HLA and Save the Children Poland has been invaluable in helping us respond to the crisis in Ukraine. We have worked closely together to deliver humanitarian standards workshops in Poland for both Ukrainian and Polish aid workers, familiarising them with the Sphere Handbook. Built on the foundations of human rights, evidence and experience – the Handbook guides those responding to crises to implement better quality and more accountable humanitarian programmes, leading to better outcomes for and improved resilience of people affected by crisis.

This training was a great learning opportunity for someone like me, who is at the beginning of the path in the humanitarian sector. I really enjoyed the trainers’ approach, which is very close to mine – to see not only the needs of affected people, but also their capacity. I appreciate how the workshop highlights that every humanitarian response should be focused on what can be done in the specific context because there is no universal pattern for all situations. I think my work will be more professional and more conscious after learning more about humanitarian standards and how to find sustainable solutions. The Sphere Handbook is a great guide and instruction to do so.

The Sphere Training was an excellent opportunity for practitioners to discuss how humanitarian aid standards can be applied in fast-changing contexts. Such discussions are an important addition to the Sphere Handbook.

Sphere provides a unified source of standards to support our work. It truly is a universal humanitarian aid language that provides helpful guidelines for navigating the response.

The Sphere training was a great practical learning experience about humanitarian response. It allowed me to understand the Sphere approach and how to make use of the resources available, particularly the Handbook. I came out of the training more confident, knowing there is a base of reference I can use to build on the quality of my work.

The training gave me an overview of sectors and topics that the humanitarian field encompasses. The trainers’ experience and knowledge made it interactive and the learning process entertaining. The opportunity of getting to know the perspective of humanitarians from different countries and various types of organizations was enriching and inspirational. Thanks to the workshop, I learnt that not everything is always possible and that considering each situation individually is the best way to ensure the help we try to provide meets the needs. It also provided me with a practical tool – the Sphere handbook – which will definitely come in handy in practical settings in the future.

Great things happen when good-hearted people work together, continuously improve their skills, and strive to reach the standards in humanitarian work. I’ve learned that a people-centered approach in humanitarian response means assessing and knowing about people’s needs and capabilities. For me, it is important to share the knowledge I got during the training with my colleagues and other individuals engaged in supporting those affected by the conflict.

The training reinforced my conviction to put a strong accent on people-centred approach in humanitarian response. Contextualising qualitative minimum standards, we can meet the needs of affected communities. By involving these people and their capacities, we can lead them to efficient recovery. The basic right to life with dignity comes first, so we should always involve affected people. I think the training directed me towards more social models in approaching people and especially in using an anthropological approach in carrying out assessments.

This training helped me to put the knowledge I got from the practical experience into a clear system. In times of complex humanitarian crises, it is vital to know how to organise localised support for affected people in the most efficient way and in alignment with international humanitarian standards.

Poland, same as other countries in Eastern Europe, is relatively new to the emergency humanitarian response. That is why there is still a need for training in humanitarian standards within the local humanitarian sector. Sphere standards training proved to be of great use, but we needed to make them more inclusive. After this Training of Trainers course, many more local actors will be able to receive this knowledge and apply the Sphere standards to their vitally important work on the ground.