45 Journey for a Lifetime Trips in 6 Years
Experience the True Magic of Changing
Children’s Lives - And Yours’ Too…
The Journeys for a Lifetime service learning and leadership program for
students impacts lives!
After a historical and educational tour of Berlin,
Germany, your life-changing Journey for a Lifetime
will then take you to Poland where you’ll be
empowered to fulfill the dreams of children who suffer
from life threatening and terminal illnesses - often in
circumstances beyond imagination.
The program promotes compassion & cooperation and
after 12 days you’ll come away with a lasting
impression; a mature awareness; greater respect; a
deeper sense of perspective - and much more besides.
Launched in 2007, the Journeys for a Lifetime program
evolved as a natural “international extension” of the
Polish children’s charity Fundacja Dziecieca Fantazja –
which makes over 500 wishes come true each year for
children, in Poland, who suffer from life-threatening and
terminal illnesses.
“The Journeys for a Lifetime program exceeded our
expectations as trip leaders and educators. By far it’s
the BEST service learning we have ever seen” Judy Ross,
Director of Global Studies, St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn
School.
Program Information
 You’ll travel with 2 Journeys for a Lifetime
chaperones up to 1,400km across Poland to
visit 14 sick children in their homes to deliver
their wish gifts such as: TV’s, Xboxes, iPods,
laptops, cameras, cell phones, clothes, bikes,
toys - and you’ll take presents to many
more in hospital.
 Your journey includes a 2 day tour of Berlin,
Germany, with visits to the Bundestag,
Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial, Berlin Wall
and more. In Poland, you’ll visit one of
Warsaw’s Museums, a Concentration Camp,
the Invisible Exhibition, other historical and
cultural sites and tour the Embassy.
"As a teacher and a parent, I have not been
on a more memorable and meaningful trip.
This trip has not only changed the lives of the
children we visited, but the lives of my
students and myself". Tim Krymusa, Teacher,
Balmoral School.
The Journeys
embraces:
for
a
Lifetime
 Service;
Leadership;
Exhilaration; Awareness …
program
Compassion;
 Internationalism; Humanity; Inhumanity;
Current Affairs; Adventure …
 Culture; History; Environment; Economics;
Beautiful Poland; Powerful Germany …
 The privilege, beauty and life-changing
experience of fulfilling the wishes of
children with life-threatening illnesses.
“It’s the program our world so desperately needs” … Ben
Program Information
Continued…
The year-round program is open to school
groups, or individual students, from around
the world. There are only 5 or 6 students
(aged 14 - 18 or 19 plus) in each group per
trip. Trips may have 2 or more groups
travelling simultaneously to accommodate
larger parties.
For exclusive school groups 1 teacher may
travel free with every 5 or 6 students.
For each group there is 1 Journeys for a
Lifetime chaperone for the trip duration
within Germany and Poland and a 2nd
chaperone within Poland.
Each trip is 12 days duration. Monthly
departure dates are flexible to suit.
Your journey will include a 2 day tour of
Berlin and visits to historical and cultural
sites in Poland.
Due to their delicate condition, the children
to be visited are selected 8 weeks prior to
departure. Then the travel region in Poland
and the travel schedule are finalized.
All gifts and wishes for the children to be
visited are provided. Students are asked to
bring a few small souvenir items (flags,
pins, etc) to hand out as personal gifts to
siblings and to the children in hospital.
Each Journey for a Lifetime trip is fully
comprehensive and inclusive. The cost
varies, depending on the departure city
and date, but is between CND $3,900 –
CND $4,400 per person and includes:
Return air tickets; Europe train and ground transportation; Cultural & educational
activities; Entrance fees; Hotel accommodation in Germany and Poland; All meals and
bottled water; Chaperones; Pre-departure materials and support; Travel, emergency
medial and personal liability insurance coverage; A 24-hour hotline.
Payment dates are: $500 non refundable deposit upon registration; 50% of the balance
- 120 days prior to departure; Remaining balance - 75 days prior to departure.
Program Information
Continued…
The following material is provided prior to
departure: Full trip schedule and itinerary,
including; Children to be visited, their
illnesses and their wishes, Hospitals to be
visited, Cities and tourist attractions to be
visited, Day by day travel schedule and
details, List of hotels, Emergency contact
information; Explanation of children’s
illnesses; What to take list; Etiquette and
language guide; Polish travel, cultural and
information guide; Document check list.
Participants require valid passports. We will
advise participants about visa requirements
(if necessary) depending on their citizenship.
Vaccinations are not needed.
The following documents are supplied - to
be completed and signed by parents or
guardians; Agreement & Waiver; Travel
Authorization (which needs to be notarized
for participants under 18).
During each trip, parents, relatives and friends
receive a daily diary report, with photos, that
keeps everyone in-touch and part of the
experience.
A comprehensive list of students, parents and
teachers can be provided to provide
references on behalf of the Journeys for a
Lifetime program.
Please Contact Us For A Presentation.
“Tell Me and I’ll Forget
Show Me and I May Remember
Involve Me and I’ll Understand”
 The Journeys for a Lifetime program will
show you the world beyond.
 You’ll witness the hardships and daily
struggles faced by children with lifethreatening and terminal illnesses, who in
many cases live in poverty with little or no
support, and behold the courage and love
of the mothers who are often left alone to
fight for every minute of their child’s life.
 It is one thing to read about these situations. It is another to experience them first hand.
You’ll discover valuable life lessons that can never be learnt in a classroom. You’ll learn to
appreciate the needs of others less fortunate and come away understanding and valuing
what you have at home, inspired and ready to make a difference to your world.
 Each trip is unforgettable and unique. In addition to being a compassionate volunteer
you’ll also: meet other extraordinary people; make new friends across the world; have
great fun; learn about European history and traditions; discover the culture and, most of
all, at the end of your trip; have a real sense of fulfillment.
“It took me all these years to finally make a difference in not
only someone else’s life, but my own”… Jaymee
Headline Quotes
That Tell the Story
 “Who would have thought that 15 young smiles would change my whole world in just 12
days?” Jules
 “This trip’s phenomenal. It’s been the most memorable, emotional, and powerful 12 days
of my life. It must be experienced” Ryan
 “This trip is a typhoon of events, places, people, memories, fun, tears, highs, lows, and
everything in between. I’m not saying you should go on this trip - I’m saying you HAVE
to” Nick
 “I wanted to stay forever. I don’t believe my
Journey for a Lifetime ended at the airport
- it will go on for the rest of my life”
Anastasiya
 “This has been life-changing. I’ve learned so
much and my perspective is altered. I am a
new person and no word of a lie - it’s a
journey for a lifetime” Ashley
 “It truly is hard to describe. I’m coming
home as a more grateful, deeper, and
smarter person from this trip” Jae
 “Nothing I have ever done has changed me
in such a way. This trip opened my eyes. I
am very thankful for everything and
excited for the things that I know I can now
accomplish” Maja
 “Although we went to bring them their wishes, the children and their families ended up
giving us so much more than I could ever have imagined. I will remember the
overwhelming love of families who live for each moment” Alyssa
 “I matured so much from this trip. I won’t be one of those people that see what’s wrong
with the world, and turns away from it. I recommend this trip for everyone” Taylor
 “Everything exceeded my expectations - it meant the world to me. I thought it would be
sad but it was the opposite - it was wonderfully happy” Emma
 “There’s not one second of any day since I’ve been home that I haven’t stopped to think
about this trip and all it has done for me” Madison
Headline Quotes
Continued…
 “Thank you for the opportunity to give something to this world, and the chance to
make a difference. You showed me how - and forever I will take it with me” Neil
 “I feel inspired, changed, informed, happy, and grateful. It is the most rewarding and
satisfying experience that I will ever have in my lifetime” Jess
 “The once in a lifetime chance you need won’t come and find you - you have to find it. I
found it, and it has opened my eyes to see the world differently” Daniel
 “I don’t know where to begin to describe
how life-changing this trip was for me. I
don’t know if anything in my life will ever
compare” Rose
 “It’s been 3 years since my Journey for a
Lifetime and still every day of my life I
think and talk about it” Maxine
 “I know that the journey - I cannot call it a
trip - was one for which I will be forever
changed and it had a profound impact on
me” Audrey
 “The whole experience was all positive and
had a profound positive influence on our
daughter in many ways. We were
extremely impressed” Leslie
 “I have witnessed the profound affects the
program has had on eleven of my former
students” Amy
 “We cannot thank you enough for providing this brilliant opportunity for our daughter.
It has definitely had a truly meaningful impact. We will be part of the Foundation’s
family for life” Laura Lee
 “We thank you for providing our son with such a wonderful learning experience. His
personal growth from the trip was obvious and his enthusiasm when discussing it was
infectious. It was clearly a life-changing trip” Doreen & Bruce
 “I am ever moved and impressed at this truly exceptional work” The Rt. Hon. Dan
Costello, Canadian Ambassador to Poland
And from China…
Journeys for a Lifetime
Sample Trip Schedule & Itinerary
(Every Trip is Different - The Schedule Below is an Extract from a Recent Trip)
DAILY SCHEDULE
Day 1 - Arrive at Airport at 2.00pm. Travel to Berlin, via Warsaw.
Day 2 - Arrive in Berlin : Check into the hotel : Walking tour of Berlin : Dinner : Back to the
hotel
Day 3 - Breakfast in hotel : Guided tours of the Bundestag, Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial
& Berliner Dom ; Visit the Berlin Wall : Dinner : Back to the hotel
Day 4 - Travel from Berlin to Warsaw on the EuroCity Express : Lunch in Warsaw : Check
into the hotel : Welcome meeting at the Embassy : Sightseeing Warsaw Old Town : Dinner :
Back to the hotel
Day 5 - Breakfast in hotel : Visit to the Museum of WWII and the Warsaw Uprising : Visit the
“Invisible” Interactive Exhibition : Arrive at the Foundation’s office to pack the presents and
load the vehicle : Dinner : Back to the hotel
Day 6 - Breakfast in hotel : Travel towards Lublin : Grant wish 1 - Warsaw - Mateusz : Grant
wish 2 - Warsaw - Kacper : Grant wish 3 - Poniatowa - Laura : Dinner : Check into the hotel
in Lublin
Day 7 - Breakfast in hotel : Travel towards Rzeszow : Visit Majdanek - Concentration &
Extermination Camp : Grant wish 4 – Przeworsk - Kacper : Grant wish 5 - Rudnik nad
Sanem - Ania : Grant wish 6 - Sanok - Bartek : Dinner : Check into the hotel in Rzeszow
Day 8 - Breakfast in hotel : Travel towards Tarnobrzeg : Grant wish 7 - Krosno - Adrianna :
Grant wish 8 - Brzeziny - Radek : Grant wish 9 - Kepa Nagajewska - Anita : Dinner : Check
into the hotel in Tarnobrzeg
Day 9 - Breakfast in hotel : Travel towards Lodz : Grant wish 10 - Słupia - Dominika : Grant
wish 11 - Lodz - Angelika : Grant wish 12 - Lodz - Patrycja : Dinner : Check into the hotel in
Lodz
Day 10 - Breakfast in hotel : Visit the children’s hospital in Lodz : Grant wish 13 - Lodz Maciek : Grant wish 14 - Slotwiny - Jakub : Dinner & walk around the old town in Lodz :
Back to the hotel
Day 11 - Breakfast in hotel : Travel towards Warsaw : Grant wish 15 - Rawa Mazowiecka Mariusz : Good-bye dinner : Check into the hotel in Warsaw
Day 12 - Breakfast in the hotel : Depart from airport at 2.00pm
Sample Schedule & Itinerary
Continued…
(Every Trip is Different - The List Below is an Extract from a Recent Trip)
CHILDREN TO BE MET & WISHES TO BE GRANTED
1. Mateusz (12) from Warsaw suffering from cystic fibrosis - a laptop
2. Kacper (5) from Lasieniec fighting against cancer - a Playstation3 and games
3. Laura (5) from Poniatowa fighting against leukemia - princess accessories and toys, a
pony and pink furniture to her room
4. Ania (14) from Rudnik nad Sanem fighting against cancer - a cell phone, a TV and a
home theatre set
5. Kacper (4) from Przeworsk fighting against acute leukemia - Thomas the Tank Engine
accessories and toys, furniture to his room and a portable DVD with films
6. Bartek (16) from Sanok fighting against cancer - a laptop and a FIFA game
7. Adrianna (17) from Krosno fighting against acute leukemia - new clothes
8. Radek (15) from Brzeziny fighting against acute leukemia - a motor scooter
9. Anita (15) from Kepa Nagajewska fighting against cancer - a digital camera
10. Dominika (10) from Slupia fighting against cancer - an All Terrain Vehicle
11. Angelika (15) from Lodz suffering from cystic fibrosis - a flat screen TV
12. Patrycja (8) from Lodz suffering from bone fragility - a laptop
13. Maciek (10) from Lodz suffering from heart failure - a digital camera NIKON and a horse
riding course
14. Jakub (12) from Slotwiny near Lodz fighting against acute leukemia - a flat screen TV
and a bike
15. Mariusz (18) from Rawa Mazowiecka suffering from muscular dystrophy - a computer &
DVDs
AND
16. The children’s hospital in Lodz - to deliver sweets, games, books and toys for the children
as well as a gift for the hospital - a laughing mirror and toys for the common room.
“Your attention to detail is phenomenal. Thank you so much for
EVERYTHING”…Judy Ross, Director of Global Studies
How It All Began
Reprinted from Mingle Magazine
Using business savvy to make people happy
Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and to your great surprise, you catch it.
Kamila Rybicka & Garry Oliver were buried deeply in her very successful payroll processing
company in Poland, caught up in the difficulties of doing business in a country that was still
pulling itself out of communism. They faced daily battles of red tape and bureaucracy that
left them exhausted. Kamila was a novelty - a woman who had created a progressive
business model in a country where the traditional model still held. Garry met her on a
business trip to Poland from his native England. The trip was supposed to last a month.
Instead it turned into 12 years, with Garry staying to work with her in the business. Kamila's
company grew to over 100 employees and 5,000 under contract. Despite their success, they
felt unsatisfied.
The curveball came unexpectedly in
the shape of a letter from 16 year old
Karolina Rudzka. She wrote to request
sponsorship so she could "smell the
flowers of spring" and her friend Marcin
Galecki (15) could meet the players of
Liverpool Football Club. Before they
died.
Karolina's request must have seemed
tremendously poignant framed against
the drudgery of daily business for
Kamila and Garry. Unable to resist the
request, Karolina and Marcin soon
found themselves on a plane to
England with their mothers, a nurse
and some helpers.
Karolina smelt the flowers of spring and much more; Marcin met the Liverpool Football team
and the whole entourage was treated to dinner by one of the players. At 3.00a.m the
following morning, Karolina's mom woke them all up and called them into her hotel room to
thank them for the best time of her life, saying she had never seen her mother so happy.
Then she closed her eyes and died.
How It All Began
Continued…
Life changed irrevocably for Kamila and Garry. Newsweek in Poland picked up the story
and they found themselves inundated with requests from sick children, parents and doctors.
In Canada when a child is very ill the family may receive support from government, charities
and their community. Not so in Poland, according to Kamila. The families are often very
poor, single mothers with 3 or 4 children living in tiny flats in apartment blocks with no
elevators. Physically handicapped children are carried up and down stairs to go outside.
There are no supports in place to integrate sick or physically handicapped children into the
school system, so they don't go. They lose their social network.
The more requests they got, the more
apparent the need. Kamila and Garry
were hooked.
They started a foundation. Kamila paid
for the first 500 wishes herself. She sold
her business and donated most of the
proceeds. They knew they had to prove
themselves to the Polish business
community to gain its support, so the
investment worked on more than one
level.
Charities have to run as businesses, they have to
be viable. They face the same challenges as any
business - human and financial resources,
networking, publicity and promotions, etc. Their
foundation was started with a sizeable cash
infusion thanks to Kamila. The two of them
worked tirelessly as unpaid employees. They
managed to develop the relationships and
support they needed to keep the foundation
going. And publicity was not a problem - the
media followed their every move. They were
the darlings of the press.
As with any business, there were tough decisions
to be made; theirs were just a little tougher.
Whose wishes would be granted? Who is the
sickest? Who can wait? Who can't? Whose
wishes were within reach? "75% of the wishes are
very humble” says Garry. "Our 5th wish was a
pair of glasses for a 5 year old who couldn't see
to read..."
How It All Began
Continued…
Because the kids are often not in school, they are lonely. Communication devices are high
among the requests - cell phones, laptops, televisions. And puppy dogs. "But there's no
difference between their wishes. They may as well fly to the moon! The wish means exactly
the same thing to a child no matter what it is, and it means the same to the parents to see
the look on their child's face."
Eventually the foundation was up and running with good people in place, and thanks to
technology the couple could stay in touch from outside Poland. They wanted to expand
what they were doing in Poland to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and knowing that there
are approximately 30 million Eastern Europeans living in North America, recognized market
potential. In a pragmatic and business-like decision, they came to Canada - and stayed.
Shortly after, their life changed again. Two things happened simultaneously. They had wishes
from two teenagers in Poland to come to Atlantic Canada, and they found themselves
appalled at the negative representation of youth in the media. As part of their wish, the two
young Poles spent two days at Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, taking
part in classes and hanging out with local teens. Students, teachers and media expected to
greet two dying, frail kids. Instead they were met by happy, appreciative young people who
inspired everyone they met. Kamila and Garry saw the spark between the sick kids and the
healthy, captivated youth who embraced them, and knew they were on to something. Soon
after, a group of young Canadians flew to Poland to deliver wishes to sick children. The local
media jumped on the positive youth story. Kamila and Garry had once again stared
changing lives around them.
In just a few years they have built an organization that sees international students delivering
wishes most months of the year to sick children in Poland through their Journeys for a
Lifetime leadership program and they have granted more than 4,000 wishes since starting in
Poland. Their foundation in Poland continues to expand and because of time changes and
constant trips they literally work around the clock often. They still manage their organization
with the same attention to detail as when they were in business for profit. And yes, they are
still exhausted - but they are happy.
Special Award
The Canadian Governor General’s Medallion was awarded to the founders of Coalition for
Kids International & Fundacja Dziecieca Fantazja for: “Their contributions to strengthening
the relationship between Canada and Poland and for creating a new generation of givers in
both countries”. The award was presented by The Governor General of Canada; His
Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, at a ceremony in the Royal Castle,
Warsaw, Poland, October 2014.
Journeys for a Lifetime
Experience the True Magic of Changing Children’s
Lives - And Yours’ Too…
“I want to thank you for shaping who I am, and pointing me in
the direction that I am meant to go”… Hannah
____________________________________________________________________
Journeys for a Lifetime
Journeys for a Lifetime program trips are organized, operated and managed by Fundacja Dziecieca
Fantazja. Our International Representative for Information, Presentations and Bookings, on behalf of
Fundacja Dziecieca Fantazja, is Coalition for Kids International.
Coalition for Kids International (Canada)
Halifax : Toronto
[email protected] : www.cfki.org