Janina Ochojska-Okońska - sylwetka autora

The founder of the Polish Humanitarian Action pursued her studies in astronomy at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. After graduating in 1980, she began her career at the Astrophysics Laboratory of the Polish Academy of Sciences, located at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center in Toruń. During her time as a student, she was actively involved with the Academic Ministry of the Jesuits in Toruń and, from 1976, became engaged in opposition activities, including contributing to the formation of the NSZZ Solidarność movement in Toruń.

In 1984, she traveled to France for surgery, where she encountered the concept of humanitarian aid. She volunteered for "EquiLibre," a foundation where she helped establish contacts and coordinate aid for Poland. By 1989, she became one of the founders of the foundation’s Polish branch. In 1992, she organized a convoy to deliver Polish aid to the former Yugoslavia. Her efforts have been recognized with several national and international awards, including the Woman of Europe title in 1994, the Jan Karski Award in the USA, the Order of the Smile, the Romer Foundation Award in Canada, the Pax Christi International Peace Award, the St. George Medal from Tygodnik Powszechny, and the Atsushi Nakata Memorial from Japan. In 2004, she was ranked seventh in Polityka magazine’s survey of the most influential women in Poland.