#6 From Chaos to Clarity: Lessons from Launching Aid When It Matters Most
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Michał and his team launched Language Supp Ukraina in just four months, providing free Polish lessons to over 6,500 refugee kids. Facing a looming humanitarian crisis, they turned passion into action, proving speed trumps perfection in delivering aid that transforms lives. This episode dives into the insights gained from building a vital solution under pressure, from partnering with giants like Save the Children to staying focused amid uncertainty. Discover the lessons that made a difference when it mattered most and the legacy left behind as the project winds down.
PODCAST
Odeta Ise
4/3/20256 min read
Let's dive into the Insight, Inspiration & Impact behind Language Supp Ukraina with Michał Tarnowski
Follow & Support Language Supp Ukraina
WSA Winning Year: 2024
Category: European Young Innovators
Founders: Michał Tarnowski, Adam Galant, Anzhelika Pelvetska, Jan Jędrzejewski, Paulina Wojtysiak, Maria Jędrzejewska, Veronika Bodnarchuk, Vikotoriia Kuzniechenko, Olga Glushko
Country: Poland
On WSA website: https://wsa-global.org/winner/language-supp-ukraine/
In the chaos of crisis, inspiration often strikes like a lightning bolt, unexpected, electric, and transformative. For Michał, the co-founder of Language Supp Ukraina, that bolt hit just two days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. What followed was a whirlwind of insight, action, and impact that would change the lives of thousands of Ukrainian refugee children in Poland. This is the story of how a spark of passion, fueled by a clear understanding of a pressing problem, ignited a vital digital education solution, and the lessons it leaves behind.
The Spark: A Crisis Meets a Calling
Michał and his co-founder Adam were no strangers to educational technology. Having already built two successful ed-tech startups, they possessed the skills, experience, and drive to tackle big challenges. But when war broke out, sending millions of Ukrainians fleeing across borders, they saw more than just a problem. They saw a humanitarian crisis they couldn’t ignore. “We knew there was a huge problem coming,” Michał recalls. “Millions of people flowing into Poland, and research shows the biggest obstacle to successful integration of refugee populations is the language barrier.”
That insight was concrete, rooted in a hard truth. Without language, children, especially refugees, face a steep uphill battle. Education stalls, isolation deepens, and opportunities vanish. For Ukrainian kids arriving in Poland, the stakes were immediate. By September 2022, hundreds of thousands would need to join Polish schools. Without Polish language skills, they’d be lost. Michał and Adam didn’t just see the data. They felt the urgency. “We had the knowledge already,” Michał says. “We knew how to do educational, technological things. There was a huge external force, and we thought, okay, we know how to do it, there’s a big problem, let’s see if we can solve a bit of it.”
The Insight: Speed Over Perfection
What sets Language Supp Ukraina apart isn’t just its mission. It’s the breathtaking speed with which it came to life. From the war’s outbreak in late February to a fully operational platform by July 1st, Michał and Adam had just four months to act. Fundraising kicked off immediately, and luck played its part. They connected with Save the Children, the global education NGO powerhouse, and secured a partnership that gave them credibility and resources. “It took us like two days,” Michał says, reflecting on the decision to dive in. “We were super passionate to do something about it.”
That passion was mirrored by an outpouring of support from Polish society. “What happened in Poland was incredible,” Michał marvels. “Hundreds of thousands of Poles driving to the border, picking up people, bringing them home. It made me believe in Polish people again.” While he could have joined the grassroots effort, Michał knew his strengths lay elsewhere. “I have skills, access to funding, people. We can help in a slightly different way.”
The result? A lean team, starting with just four core members plus Michał as CEO and Adam as CTO, built a platform from scratch. They hired 30 teachers, raised $1.5 million, and launched on schedule. By March 29, 2025, over 6,500 students had completed their courses, with 92% showing significant improvement in Polish proficiency. The numbers are staggering, but the real story lies in how they got there: by embracing imperfection. “We had no model, no product whatsoever,” Michał admits. “Just an idea and two slides. I was going around the city, going on calls, saying, let’s do it. Give us money. We need to help these kids.”
The Impact: Changing Lives, One Word at a Time
Language Supp Ukraina didn’t just teach Polish. It opened doors. For Ukrainian kids, many arriving with nothing but trauma and uncertainty, the platform became a lifeline. Online classes, held three times a week with real teachers, offered structure and connection. Moms joined too, learning alongside their children, turning language into a family bridge to a new life. “We get feedback every day proving we’re very needed,” Michał says. “For most of our students, the counterfactual is not receiving language education, staying at home, extreme isolation.”
The stories are what keep the team going. One mom wrote about arriving in Poland unable to speak to teachers or shopkeepers, trapped in a silent world. After courses with Language Supp, she and her child settled in, their lives transformed. Another student progressed from zero Polish to B2 proficiency over two years, a journey from exclusion to empowerment. “This is exactly why we started,” Michał explains. “The language barrier is the greatest obstacle for kids to continue education. If they don’t know the language, they stay at home. They’re lost.”
The platform’s reach is vast, with 20,000 registered users, about 10% of Poland’s Ukrainian child refugee population. Engagement is off the charts. 70% complete full profiles, email open rates hit 60%, and 75% finish their courses, a staggering figure compared to the typical 3% completion rate for online learning. Data reveals a restless population too, with kids moving between Polish cities or back to Ukraine, chasing stability. Yet through it all, Language Supp remained a constant.
The Challenge: A Humanitarian Catch-22
For all its success, Language Supp Ukraina faces a bittersweet end. The humanitarian funding that fueled it, $1.5 million over two years, has dried up. “The focus shifted,” Michał notes. “The crisis in Poland isn’t perceived as humanitarian anymore. Most NGOs have moved out.” Despite exploring commercial models, the team stayed true to their mission: free education for those who can’t pay. “Lots of our users just can’t afford it,” he says. “They’re with a single mom, counting every zloty.”
Shutting down isn’t failure. It’s a testament to impact achieved against the odds. “If we’re forced to shut it down, we’ll be super proud,” Michał reflects. “For these kids, we changed lives.” The platform’s video-on-demand component will live on, but the live courses, the heart of the operation, will fade by mid-2025.
The Lesson: Courage and Focus
Michał’s journey offers a masterclass in turning inspiration into action. His advice for aspiring impact entrepreneurs? “Don’t be afraid to talk to the biggest incumbents in the sector.” Language Supp’s partnership with Save the Children wasn’t luck. It was boldness. “We were a small, new organization, but we pitched to the big guys. They have the experience, the money, and the reach. If it wasn’t for that, we couldn’t have reached 30% of our potential.”
And if he could wave a magic wand? He’d rewind six years and tell his younger self: act faster. “We used to spend 80% of our time polishing products,” he laughs. “With Language Supp, we just went for it, and helped tons of kids.” Speed, not perfection, was the key.
The Legacy: A Blueprint for Change
As Michał takes a well-earned rest before his next venture, this time a commercial one in New York, he leaves behind a blueprint. Language Supp Ukraina proves that inspiration, paired with insight, can spark a rapid, scalable solution. It’s a story of saying “yes” when the world says “wait,” of focusing on what you can change, and of building something professional, purposeful, and profound, even if it can’t last forever.
For the 6,500 kids who found their voice in a foreign land, that’s more than enough. And for the rest of us, it’s a call to action. When crisis strikes, don’t just see the problem. Be the solution.
