KINGA FREESPIRIT
KINGA CHOSZCZ


She was a traveler, a photographer, and the author of numerous travel articles. She loved people, and it was people who were the motivation for all her journeys. She hitchhiked around the world, and in 2004 won a Kolosy Award for her outstanding achievement, which she gave an account of in the book "Prowadził nas los" ["Led by Destiny"].
Africa was her next dream. In a diary she kept in Africa, Kinga wrote: 'Every single day here is a holiday to me…, every single day here is full of miracles I find hard to describe.'
Kinga died of malaria in a military hospital in Ghana, on 9 June 2006.


Kinga is the Freespirit. The spirit that is free and delicate, but persistent at the same time, holding the incredible power to make dreams come true.

Kinga is the way. Pursuing it is Kinga's destiny, accompanied by a characteristic reflection. So many issues, observations, moments captured, written down and photographed by Kinga during her journeys, from all over the world… Which one to focus on, which is the most crucial? Is it the volunteer camps in every corner of Europe? The solo trip to Nepal and her work in leper colonies? Her hitchhiking trip around the world? Or is it Africa she set all her heart on…?

Kinga is the passion. The passion for life, the very need to experience what is to be experienced, and the enthusiasm for discovering new places and meeting new people.

Kinga is the mission. It is the story of a little girl saved by Kinga from captivity in the Ivory Coast, it is Kinga's last journey together with the fortunate child back to her home village in Ghana. Kinga is sensitivity, love, a kindred soul others feel attracted to, and the urge to cherish universal human values.

Is Kinga's mission over? No, it has only just begun…

Kinga's Parents

 

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KINGA

I want to write about Kinga and I wonder what I should start with. Maybe with her birthday, April 10, which is the sign of Aries, and so it was already written in the stars that she was to be that much independent, stubborn, full of energy, helpful, and dedicated to those, who understand it? So is it the stars that account for the fact that Aries are so sociable and in love with freedom? So is it the stars and our destiny that determine so much? What influence then, what impact on our lives have the surroundings that we are brought up in? Our home, family, the upbringing process?

So I guess I shall start with the hitchhiking trip to the Bieszczady Mountains, as it was the beginning of Kinga’s story. Or maybe I should look even further back in time, as I am sure that our – Kinga’s parents’ – childhood as well as grandparents had strong impact on what Kinga’s future looked like.

A little school in the village of Błotnik, 25 kms from Gdańsk. My home. My father was a teacher – very strict, yet with enourmous passion for his job. My mother worked extremaly hard, taking care of her children and of the 3.5 ha farm as well as being dedicated to fulfilling her plans.
On her 80th birthday we presented her with a poem:
" … so fearless and stubborn ‘bout reaching her goals
    a kind of a person the world hardly knows"…

My childhood resembles the childhood of "The Children of Bullerby Village" characters, but we had lots more duties. Everybody knew their duties, what they could do and what they must not do. The season meant working from dawn to dusk but at other times we played freely in all possible ways – digging up the old well in search of treasure, checking out every nook and cranny of all atticks and basements trying to find any German traces... and the most important thing – my imagination.

We lived in a small school building, and as there were only 4 school grades in it, our parents decided to make us attend a bigger school in Gdansk, so that we get a better education. So I started regular trips to school by steam engine train... Can you magine a 10 year old getting up at 5 a.m. to catch a 5.20 a.m. train to get to school six times a week?
I was so proud and felt like an udult, especially that I wore a school uniform that I made myself!

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I was to write about Kinga but I am talking about myself instead... 1972 – summer holidays! I am a high school graduate and a student of an Art University, I am so happy and my parents so proud of me! Finally they let me spend my vacation for the first time in the way I really want to – and it is no longer staying at my cousins’ or aunts’ in another village, and it isn’t our cucumber farm either... and it isn’t the crop harvest... It is my first real hitchhiking trip to the Bieszczady Mountains! A backpack, a tent, and... freedom!

After our return the events advanced very quickly… I began studies being already married. We are very lucky to live in a two-room flat on our own. On the 10th of April 1973 Kinga is born. Big eyes, black hair, and dark complexion – she is beautiful! She is an exceptional child.

In spite of additional duties I feel freer than anytime before. None of our peers had a flat; therefore all the meetings with our friends took place at our home. This could be the time when our Kinga learnt being sociable and open to the people and to the world.

As a year and a half old baby she showed signs that nothing can stand in the way of the plan being carried out by her. If she wanted to bath in the sea then she proved that even the colds of October would not prevent her from doing so. Persistent Aries does not resign easily.

I can say that Kinga studied with us. I often took her to the drawing office… I saw her running among the easels. Kinga grew up in a creative atmosphere, and most importantly she managed to overcome the difficulties of our life – the life of independent young students. At home there were dozens of different freelance works; the desk was piled with projects and we had bought a knitting machine to earn some extra money. We decided to set aside part of our wage for our dream car – Fiat 126P – a small car once popular in Poland. But a couple of years had to pass before we got it. During that time hitch-hiking was our means of transportation… whether we intended to visit our family at the far end of Poland or a student camp.
Anyway, we spent most of our free time in the village helping my parents mainly on the cucumber field. Kinga accompanied us in all the works.. she picked cucumbers and even turned laborious sorting into a fun cucumber game.

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At the same time Kinga kept asking persistently for a brother or sister, thus our second daughter was born – Jowita.

Then, Kinga entered first grade at school… Since the first days of learning she was very self-reliant. We were sure she would be a dutiful and diligent student.

The 80’s were characterized by massive migration to the west in search for a job, and for a couple of months Kinga's dad went to Germany. At that time Kinga was 13. She cleverly avoided a few days queue to the customs bureau. She got her passport and when the holidays began she went for her first trip to visit her father alone. She worked a couple of days for a gardener and earned her first money.      

Kinga’s second sister was born – Martyna!

Now came the years when the dreams about freedom finally came true. These are the times of mass emigration and we also decided to migrate. Renardo – Kinga’s father - was the first to go... Italy, Canada.. I stayed with my three daughters.

The time was passing by … Kinga went to high school. People from the sign of Aries are individualists, they are not self-conscious and don’t like to yield to anyone’s will. Youthful Kinga’s defiance was quickly curbed by a bad conduct mark.

And probably this was the moment when Kinga for the first time felt an urgent need to be free and to travel... far away.
She drew a plan. Its first stage – learn English. She got an excellent mark for her English skills on the Matura exam. Then she studied languages at a college. She spent all her holidays on workcamps – hitch-hiking to get there.

The Aries always tries to go on, to achieve and experience something new, therefore after many European journeys Kinga decided to go to a workcamp in Nepal. She wondered how to get there. And she decided on hitchhiking. She did not leave us any chance to oppose and we had to accept her decision. Kinga's father took her to the route.
The coverage of this 9 month journey was systematically written in the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper.     

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After her return Kinga began working at school. She taught English, among many classes she taught the class of which I had been a class tutor, and our cooperation went very effectively as both of us liked to create new things. In 1996 we organized a first camp with international volunteers, and in the following year the next camp. Incredible people arrived, the friendships last till now - Anthony from Miami, Jason from California, Sonia from Ireland…

Next workamp was organized by Kinga and she became the leader of volunteers that came to work in a children’s home in Orunia, Gdańsk.

Kinga became a trainer of “Mind Odyssey”, she led a team assembled from the students from my class. First competition and first victory! Together we went to the World Finals that took place in Florida. I also became a great fan of the Odyssey.

Inexhaustible energy spread it to the world.
Kinga planned to go on a two year bicycle journey around the world which was meant to begin in Vancouver and end in the year 2000 in Hiroshima. She became the Polish coordinator of this journey. However, the fate decreed otherwise.

During the exoteric fair in Warsaw she met Chopin. He thought about going around the World on foot. Soon they felt that they wanted to share their passions of discovering the world together. They modified their plans and decided to hitchhike around the world. Having no further plans and not much than 500$ they began their journey in 1998.







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