Polish women pave all the sidewalks in their village, as council failed to do it

The women’s club volunteered their time and labour to turn the dirt paths into footpaths

Romaszki is a tiny village of 400 people in eastern Poland, whose residents decided they’d had enough of walking on unpaved and muddy footpaths and took matters into their own hands. And more specifically, the local female residents showed exemplary initiative by organizing, learning the skill of laying road bricks and then doing it.

Local media outlets reported that the “Rumianka” country housewives' club, an association of local women, (such clubs are common throughout Poland), realized that the authorities in the district council of Rossosz were unable to provide them with contractors to do the job. So rather than wallow in misery and desperation they simply decided to do the job themselves even if they had no idea how.

New skills on the go

It was a matter of asking those who might have some knowledge of laying stones, so the husbands gave their energetic wives a crash course in road work and the rest, as they say, is history.

The mayor gave us the materials and we, as an act for the good of the community, laid a total of one kilometre of paving stones through the whole of Romaszki,” Edyta Pawlukiewicz from the housewives’ association told regional newspaper Dziennik Wschodni.

The last section of pavement was completed at the end of July following a request from the local priest. The women created a footpath from the church to the cemetery. Completing the entire project took some time because it could only be done in the evenings and weekends. But this is where female solidarity got to shine really bright.

While some of the women worked on their hands and knees laying the stone blocks, others cooked and provided refreshments.

What’s more, the women also repainted the main room in the village fire station, since they used it as a meeting space.

Now, it’s time the men learned something about taking an initiative, as well. After all, 2023 is the European Year of Skills and the local bridge is also in poor condition.