Kraina Rawki

We live in a Kraina Rawki - area full of orchards, arable lands, meadows, forests and lakes. Our advantage is an attractive localization in the center of Poland, next to main transport roads. Due to this localization, Warsaw and Łódź are reached within one hour. However, people are the most significant advantages of our region. Most of all, they are young, educated, energetic and connected with this region. They work in orchards, factories and servicing companies, production companies, schools and offices. They are hard-working, creative and they head for improving their quality of life.

In this region, the word Strong Man champion – Mariusz Pudzianowski takes his power.

Our region isn’t heavy-built over or industrialized but it is characterized with a huge commercial and tourism potential, perfect for so called weekend tourism. We want to be an attractive partner, ready for multi-party cooperation and creating positive atmosphere for entrepreneurs. We are friendly to inhabitants, investors and tourists.

Community initiative LEADER+  

   LEADER is an European Union's program supporting dvelopment of rural areas. In 2006, to its execution there acceded 5 country communnes: Rawa Mazowiecka, Biała Rawska, Cielądz, Regnów and Kowiesy. Due to this initiative, in the areas of these communes there was set up 'Kraina Rawki Association', which gaining EU's funds wants to bring an opportunity for development to this region. We believe that LEADER+ program can help achieving this goal.

Specific features of Pilot Program LEADER are:


1. Three-sector partnership called a Local Action Group (LAG) which represents different entities taking care for an equality rule, in these, public sector, social sector and economic one.

2. Territorial attitude - a support concerns area that is coherent in scope of geography, culture, economy, history and environment. That allows designing a wide vision of a particular area, using completely local resources to execute essential purposes.

3. Bottom-to-up attitude - creating LAG is an initiative of a 'bottom', it's goal is to meet local society real expectations. This attitude concerns every phase of the program. LEADER program gives opportunities but these must  be caught by a local society.

4. Integrated, multi-sector attitudde. LEADER is a new way of local development support. This support can be provided to nearly everybody and for any activity that  is in accordance to accepted strategy of development. LEADER requires only keeping planned activities together, coherent and coordinated.

5. Inovativeness - in LEADER Program there are preferred ideas, projects and activities of innovative and even experimental character.

6. Co-operation and building connections between LAGs - in scope of LEADER Program there was made a system of information and experiences exchange to which every LAG is connected to. It provides an access to knowledge and allows keeping wide, European contacts.

Local Action Group "Kraina Rawki" Association
 
   In scope of Scheme I of the pilot Program Leader+ in the area of communes: Rawa Mazowiecka, Biała Rawska, Cielądz, Regnów, Kowiesy we set up Local Action Group "Kraina Rawki" Association which main goal is to improve quality of life of villages' inhabitants due to entrepreneurship and human resources development. W complete self-governments' activities arranging ourselves in these fields of country life which are required to be improved from point of their inhabitans' view.


   In the Intagrated Strategy od Country Areas - our leading document - we decided to choose two leading issues:

1. Quality of life improvement in the country areas.

2. Use of natural and cultural resources - in these - potential of areas belonging to Natura 2000. For every issue there were designed strategic goals which enable execution of activities during the period of program, that is from 2007-2013.


   Between 2007-2008 we are working over the program part called Scheme II, which goal is to technically and essentially prepare Local Action Group  to opinion and accept forms including European Union funds applications trying to get funds for the area inabitants. Due to gained means in Scheme II we managed to  open an office and we are preparing documentation for investments included in Integrated Strategy of Country Regions Development in 2006.


   These are analysis, expert's reports and documentations of the following investments:

- home sewage works,
- playgrounds and places of country recreation,
- bike roads and stops for narrow-gauge railway
- re-builds and adaptations of OSP locals into country culture houses [OSP - Volunteer Firemen]
- recontruction of a rock garden in order to meet requirements issued by Primary Schools in Babs as there are planned 'meetings with Chopin's music'


   The Association takes part in fairs, exhibitions, festivals and it promotes the region in different forms. It offeres different trainings for inhabitants and its members as well as free of charge consultations for inhabitants in scope of gaining EU's funds. 
   Together with local business we want in the nearest future to support and promote development of local production and services. Our purpose is, among others, to create a brand of products and services 'From Kraina Rawki', which would be so ennobling as the brand "Teraz Polska' is.
   One of  promotion elements there is an internet webside on which we'll dmonstrate precise information concerning a product, its producer and all organized promotional activities.
Together, we want to promote our fruit, vegetables, agricultural products and any interesting initiatives.

The Association disposes a found in amount of 717 thousand PLN (for years 2007-2008) which is following in, to service activities, in form of groups and rounds, VAT included.

   Area of LAG is in the range of South-Mazowsze elevations on lands of two interesting regions: Łódź Elevations and Rawska Heihgt. Here are arable lands of significant area of orchards, most of them belong to Biała Rawska and Kowiesy communes. Most part of crops consist of vegetables, thus, region of Cielądz is famous for its cabbage and in Rawa Mazowiecka commune there are crops of strawberries.

   The region belongs to areas of the lowest pollution rate in Mazowsze. There are complexes of open waters, clean air and colorful, low-lying landscapes. In the area of "Kraina Rawki" there are forests with supremacy of pines and birch and colorful meadows as well. Not large watercourses strongly meander, they are of good water quality what is proved by existing fish, crawfish and beavers.
   Wildlife reserves delight visitiors as they are full of water and mud birds: water-landscape wildlife reserve 'Rawka', wildlife reserve of leafy forest 'Babsk', Bolimowski Reserve of Landscape. There are also forests full of mushrooms.
   An environment is not degradated as additives and pesticides are dosed in reasonable amount. There also grows environment-consciousness of society. Teenagers present good environment-attitude arranging themselves into pro-ecologic actions.
In the area there are few water-works, in these, modern ones, more and more efficient. Currently, LAG is designing projects of small, house-water-works.

   In the area of LAG there is relatively low number of production factories. Mainly, they deal with meat-processing, fruit and vegetables processing. They provide services for agriculture but there are companies of non-agricultural profile as well. However, the most significant number of people works in private farms.
   Communes of our region make an atmospere friendly for entrepreneurship - industrial zones, e.g. in Biala Rawska of area about 60 hec. and in Babsk - 200 hec. There are made quickly new local spatial plans and investors are well-seen by local self-governments.
   Road infrastucture is good-developed and primary communes' tasks include improvements of drive in roads to farms. Step by step there appears huge transport improvements such as Rawa Mazowiecka bypass and, in the next years there is planned Biala Rawska bypass.

   Our areas are  of reach history. Here, in the Mazowsze prince castle in  Rawa Mazowiecka there was a quarter treasure, in Sanctuary in Biała Rawska there is an Our Merciful Lady paintinig given by Queen Bona and here, with Poles' stories there  is connected dramatic, war history of Jews. In this area, during the Second World War there was run guerilla warfare by partisan detachment AK called 'Dzik'.

   From the past there still stand interesting historic buildings and monuments such as little castles, manors, castle alleys, churches, parks and cemeteries. These qualities are great reasons to come here to do foot or bike tourism following traces from the past as well as religious tourism or sentimental tourism.

                                   KRAINA RAWKI WAITS FOR EXPLORERS!!!