When climate change puts children's safety, education and future at stake, politicians need to take responsibility. That is why Erikshjälpen supports the 89% campaign. For us, the climate crisis is not just an environmental issue. It is a child rights crisis.
89% demand change
A 2024 study of over 130,000 citizens in 125 countries found that 89% believe their governments are doing too little to address the climate crisis. A crisis that means life on this planet will never be the same again.
The research behind the 89% campaign is based on real voices - individuals asking their elected officials to do more. But 11-year-old Mim Akter, who lives in one of Bangladesh's most climate-affected areas, was not asked. Yet Mim belongs to the group that has contributed least to her precarious existence. Emissions from the global north determined Mim's fate long before she was born.
Climate crisis threatens children's rights
For many people, climate change has already changed their daily lives. One of them is Mim Akter, who lives with her parents and five siblings on a sand island in the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh.
The sand islands are inaccessible, constantly changing and subject to recurrent floods and cyclones. Landslides and soil erosion make it difficult to build permanent infrastructure.
When storms hit, they sweep away homes and school buildings, wiping out children's access to safety and education. Both child marriage and child labor are common in Bangladesh, particularly affecting children who can no longer get to school.
Mim Akter outside her school.
Mim Akter outside her school.
Our choices affect children's future
As a child rights organisation with a non-profit second-hand chain, we are constantly working to extend the life of things and save the earth's resources. How we produce, consume and conduct climate policy is a child rights issue. For every kilogram of carbon dioxide emissions, the possibility of a safe and secure future for the world's children is affected.
The surplus from our stores goes to the work for children's rights and to reduce the injustices created by the climate crisis.In Bangladesh, Erikshjälpen collaborates with the local organization Friendship to enable children to go to school despite the climate disasters that constantly threaten the country. Together we have established schools that can be moved, they can be dismantled when the flood comes and rebuilt in a new and safe place. Children are also being trained in disaster preparedness and their rights. In this way, they are involved in changing not only their own future, but that of entire communities.
Your circular purchases give hope for the future of the climate and contribute to preparedness and adaptation in places where it is already vital. Consumers are leading the way today - by making sustainable choices, challenging the norms of neo-consumerism and shopping in a circular way. Choices that in small ways make a big difference, for the planet and for Mim and her classmates.
Politicians, show that you are on the side of children
The climate crisis is a children's rights crisis and by addressing one, we can counteract the other. Make your voice heard to show that we are a strong majority, for the climate, and for every child. Children's right to a secure future cannot rest on individual initiatives - it requires political leadership. That's why we are committed to the 89% campaign and call on this and future governments: take responsibility, act now and show that you are on the side of children on climate.
Mattias Ingeson and Jerker Sandell.
Mattias Ingeson and Jerker Sandell.
Author:
Jerker Sandell, Executive Director of Erikshjälpen Second Hand
Mattias Ingeson, Secretary-General of the children's rights organization Erikshjälpen
Erikshjälpen will open soon its seventh Future Workshop - this time in Linehed in Halmstad. The aim is to strengthen the rights of children and young people and contribute to positive development in the area, together with local actors.
The work of supporting children and young people is intended to take place in close collaboration with the municipality's activities, housing in the area and the local Erikshjälpen Second Hand in Halmstad. Work is now starting on recruiting two activities coordinators and a labor market coordinator to run the business.
- Their first task will be to build relationships with various actors and residents in the Linehed area. This is to find out how Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad can best meet the needs of the area and complement other interventions, says Jonatan Saldner, acting program manager at Erikshjälpen's Sweden department.
The aim is for the Future Workshop to open before the end of the year.
Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad is currently located in six places in Sweden. The establishment in Halmstad will be the seventh.
Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad is currently located in six places in Sweden. The establishment in Halmstad will be the seventh.
A long-term investment
Erikshjälpen has long been in dialog with the Ljungbergska Foundation about a deeper collaboration. This support now makes the start-up in Halmstad possible.
- When children are given the opportunity to influence their everyday lives, not only their future but that of the whole community grows. We are convinced that Erikshjälpen, in close collaboration with the municipality, the business community and other existing actors, will be a good addition to the work of enabling long-term sustainable change for children and young people in Halmstad," writes Ljungbergska Stiftelsen in a statement.
Focus on children's rights
The work in the Future Workshops is always based on children's rights. In the activities, it is the children themselves who will decide what activities they want and what issues are important for them to pursue. This gives them the power to change their neighborhood, build self-confidence and eventually follow their dreams.
Apply for one of the positions at Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad Halmstad
Roland Nelsson, who was the leader of Erikshjälpen for many years, passed away on Sunday August 24 after a short illness. In a joint eulogy, the current and former Secretary-General share their thoughts and memories of him.
Memorial words by Erikshjälpens Secretary-General
After a short illness, Roland Nelsson has passed away. It is with great gratitude that we remember his life and work. He was Erikshjälpen's director¹, our predecessor, between 1983 and 1998. During this period, the organization was strongly influenced by his creativity, boldness and fearless willingness to try new ways.
It was under Roland Nelsson's leadership that Erikshjälpen Second Hand took shape. An idea that today has developed into a nationwide network of shops that finance aid work, create community, integration and sustainability. He was also one of the initiators of the Scandinavian Medical Bank, which enables hundreds of Nordic doctors to work voluntarily in hospitals and clinics around the world where knowledge and interventions are needed. Through these initiatives, Roland left a mark that is still bearing fruit today, changing the lives of countless children and families around the world.
Roland has always been a colorful personality, marked by a clear calling to serve God and help the most vulnerable. He liked to take over the room with his valve trombone, his ringing laughter and his subtle stories. These stories could be about statesmen and potentates he met, but just as often about vulnerable children and women who touched him deeply. Roland was a preacher at heart, a popular speaker and a popular leader. He thrived on cross-purposes when opinions were divided and the scales of debate rose high. After his time at Erikshjälpen, he was the organization's ambassador and inspiration for the rest of his life. He was interviewed at staff gatherings, spoke in churches and thrift stores. He encouraged and admonished in a good mix.
Roland was deeply attached to his wife Gudrun, or Guggan as she came to be known. He was also enormously proud of his children Camilla and Putte, and later his grandchildren, who often featured prominently in his stories.
Roland Nelsson leaves behind a rich legacy, a life characterized by faith, commitment and joy. For many, he is the very essence of Erikshjälpen. His importance for the organization and for children around the world cannot be overestimated. Many of us remember with great gratitude a friend, leader and inspirer. He has left a deep mark - in the wider world and in the hearts of individuals.
Authors: Lars Anderås, Bengt Swerlander, Daniel Grahn, former Secretary-General
Mattias Ingeson, Secretary-General of Erikshjälpen
The title Secretary-General used to be called Director of Erikshjälpen. In the eulogy both titles are used.
Almedalen Week 2025 is underway and Erikshjälpen is there! This year, our seminar is led by young people from the Skäggetorp neighborhood in Linköping. The young people themselves have planned the content and participate as experts together with the Children's Ombudsman Juno Blom.
The impact of housing segregation and exclusion on young people is an ongoing issue. Everyone agrees that we need to do more and reverse the trend, but are we doing enough to engage young people themselves in the solution?
Young people from Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad have prepared both content and message for our upcoming seminar in Almedalen. The young people are speakers, panelists and have had an active role in the planning, not only as "inspiration", but as expertise to challenge the image of the suburbs.
Adults need to listen to what young people want and not just make decisions over our heads.
Young people working together for solutions to societal problems
Before the seminar, the young people participated in workshops where they discussed the challenges they see in society, based on their everyday lives and experiences. They also shared their solutions and what they would like to send to politicians and decision-makers.
We give young people a platform at Almedalen
We see youth participation as a natural part of our work for children's rights. Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad exists to give children and young people the opportunity to create positive change for themselves and others based on needs, interests and dreams. Through leisure activities, study support and training in leadership and children's rights, young people are given the opportunity to develop their voice and to influence.
The seminar in Almedalen is a clear example of how the Convention on the Rights of the Child becomes a reality - young people are given both space and power to influence.
- "We want young people to feel that their experiences and opinions matter," says Jonatan Saldner, Head of Erikshjälpen Sweden. "Only then can we really talk about participation and sustainable community development.
Listening to children is not just nice, it's an obligation.
Seminar: We do what you talk about - how young people's drive creates change
Time:Wednesday 25/6 at 11.00-11.45
Location:Hamnplan, place 209 - Barnrättstorget in Almedalen
Lena Elf
Press officer
Nancy Mbiti is the 18-year-old in Western Kenya who is calling for sanitary pads to be free for all girls and women in Kenya. She is one of several brave girls at her school who have started to speak out against an unequal society.
For us in Sweden, it may not be seen as a big problem. But for girls and women in Kenya - especially in rural and poorer areas - access to sanitary protection is not a given. And even if it is available, it is not certain that everyone can afford it.
Nancy talks about girls her own age who have been forced to use rags or other textiles as sanitary pads because they can't afford to buy pads at the store. Sure, sometimes sanitary pads are distributed at school, but the distribution is often unfair and can end up in the wrong hands.
Nancy Mbiti is passionate about girls' rights. Photo: Kakenya's Dream
Nancy Mbiti is passionate about girls' rights. Photo: Kakenya's Dream
- We want politicians, especially those in Parliament, to pass a law that provides free access to sanitary protection across the country. If it's free, it's not worthwhile for teachers, for example, to get hold of pads and then resell them. It would also mean that no more girls would have to sell sex to afford sanitary pads and that the number of teenage pregnancies would decreasesays Nancy.
We cannot be silent. Menstruation is a natural part of life and something we must dare to talk about openly.
Writing opinion pieces to influence
When Nancy was in fourth grade, she came into contact with Erikshjälpens work in Kenya and was able to continue going to school thanks to ourcollaboration with the local organization Kakenya's Dream. Last year she graduated from high school and now she dreams of getting into university and studying to become a teacher. Another dream is that the view of menstruation in society to change.
- Free sanitary pads should be available in all health centers so women and girls can pick up pads whenever they want. This should be be as normal as having condom machines everywhere," she says.
Every month, Nancy meets girls of the same age who are struggling to get hold of sanitary towelsand she realizes that it's a topic that no one really wants to talk about. Something she wants to change. So she tries to talk about Menstrual health with her classmates and write op-eds in local newspapers to bring about change.
- We cannot cannot be silent. People are a natural part of of life and something that we must dare to talk openly about. It is our right to have access to menstrual protection andand should not depend on whether you can afford it or not.
Consequence of menses
In May, Erikshjälpen draws attention to Menstrual health and girls' right to health and hope for the future. You can join us and make a difference!
Read more about Erikshjälpen's work for men's health.
Svante Wendal is going to ski slalom and for every meter of altitude he manages, money is raised for children living on the streets in Uganda. In the past, Svante has raised over 20,000 Swedish kronor (SEK) for Erikshjälpen when he swam for children in Ukraine!
Svante will complete the challenge in Sälen on Tuesday of week 16. Several people have chosen to sponsor Svante's fundraising where they promise a certain amount for each meter of altitude that he manages to complete during Tuesday on the slopes. Svante's father Markus is helping him with the administrative side of things.
Svante Wendal from Bodafors raises money for children in Uganda through a slalom challenge. Photo: Markus Wendal
Svante Wendal from Bodafors raises money for children in Uganda through a slalom challenge. Photo: Markus Wendal
Svante wants to donate the money collected to Erikshjälpen's work for children living on the streets in Uganda. The work is to support children to get away from life on the street and be reunited with their families.
Svante's father Markus explains on Facebook how you can support Svante's fundraising by becoming a sponsor of the challenge. If you want to support Svante with a single sum, you can swish to 900 92 83 and mark your payment with "Svante".
On March 28, Myanmar was hit by a strong earthquake. Över 7.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and the need for support from the outside world is great. Erikshjälpen acted quickly and startedthe a disasterntervention on the very same day.
The earthquake, which consisted of two tremors, mainly affected the regions around the city of Mandalay in central Myanmar. Over 2,000 people have died and more than 30,000 have been injured. In addition, around 3,000 people are estimated to be trapped under collapsed buildings.
- Many families have lost their homes and lack access to clean water. The situation is exacerbated by the humanitarian crisis in the country following years of internal conflict and refugee disasters. Although Erikshjälpen was quick to respond, there is still an urgent need for further assistance to address the crisis," says Rathy Chheng, Program Coordinator at Erikshjälpen's Regional offices in Southeast Asia.
In addition to homes and schools, key infrastructure such as airports, highways and bridges have been completely destroyed in the affected regions. Damage to dams in Pyin Ma Nar resulted in severe flooding and a major fire in Mandalay destroyed 50 homes. In total, 7.6 million people in Myanmar are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
- Children and families are the hardest hit. Many are displaced and living in difficult conditions without adequate protection from weather and health hazards. Children can no longer go to school because schools have been destroyed and they lack a safe place to recover from traumatic experiences. The psychological strain is enormous and families are struggling every day to cope with loss, uncertainty and just trying to survive," said Rathy Chheng.
Children can no longer go to school because schools have been destroyed and they lack a safe place to recover from traumatic experiences.
The importance of long-term interventions
- Our efforts focus on on emergency shelter, food, clean water and medical care. We are also prioritizing the safety of affected children to protect them from exploitation and further trauma. In addition, long-term interventions are crucial to rebuild homes, schools and essential community infrastructure and thus giving hope back to affected families," says Rathy Chheng.
Erikshjälp's intervention in Myanmar focuses on:
Food and water - emergency food parcels and drinking water, focusing on vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and the elderly.
Shelter and materials - temporary housing, blankets, hygiene and household items.
Medical care - emergency care and treatment of injuries.
Safety and security - protection for women and children at risk of exploitation or violence.
Water and sanitation - access to clean water and toilets.
You can help by making a donation to the Erikshjälpen disaster fund.
Exclusion among young people growing up under tough socio-economic conditions is one of Sweden's biggest social challenges. Now Erikshjälpen is awarded 11.3 million from the Postcode Lottery to realize the dream project Parental Power.
- "The need for parental support is something we often encounter in contact with our young people in Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad," says Mattias Ingeson, Secretary-General of Erikshjälpen. "Through Föräldrakraft, we now finally have the resources to interact with parents as well.
Every year, the Swedish Postcode Lottery's surplus is distributed to the non-profit organisations it works with. By far the largest part of this is unearmarked money, known as basic support. But in addition to the basic support, there are the Dream Projects. A Dream Project always has a specific focus, such as one of the UN's global sustainability goals.
Want to contribute to safe families
Erikshjälpen's dream with the four-year project "Parental Power" is to contribute to safe and stable families. No matter where you live, parents should be able to support their children in the challenges they face in school and life.
A secure start lays the foundation for a lifetime, and caregivers play a crucial role in children's development and life choices. Good family relationships create better conditions for children to cope with adversity and reduce the risks of falling into exclusion, crime, destructive environments and abuse.
- "It is important to meet with other parents and exchange thoughts and ideas about family life and how to be a good parent," says a mother from a parent group in Motala.
One of the best ways to help children is to provide support to their parents.
Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad is currently located in Motala, Helsingborg, Linköping, Borlänge, Uppsala and Kristianstad. The work includes giving young people tools to influence and create positive change for themselves and their neighborhoods. With Föräldrakraft, interventions are also aimed at inspiring active parenting and strengthening family relationships.
- With many years of experience working for children's rights in different countries, we know that one of the best ways to help children is to support their parents," says Mattias Ingesson.
Erikshjälpen's Secretary-General Mattias Ingeson and acting Sweden Director Jonatan Saldner were surprised with the check during a visit to Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad in Uppsala.
Erikshjälpen's Secretary-General Mattias Ingeson and acting Sweden Director Jonatan Saldner were surprised with the check during a visit to Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad in Uppsala.
Building bridges between parents and the community
Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad sometimes meets parents who express a lack of confidence in their own abilities and who find it difficult to reconcile present parenting with challenges linked to finances and working conditions. Distrust of authorities can be great, so Erikshjälpen wants to act as a bridge builder to various agencies in society in addition to parent-strengthening measures. In this way, public resources and interventions can be made available to many more people.
Erikshjälpen will also develop meeting places in each location for inspiration, commitment and exchange of experience.
- "Erikshjälpen now has the opportunity to develop an existing business with new perspectives. It is important and urgent," says Anders Årbrandt, Managing Director of the Swedish Postcode Lottery.
The Parental Power project is expected to result in:
- 150 families per year participating in family activities.
- 300 parents who undergo the Parent Focus training.
- 500 parents take part in lectures and activities aimed at increasing knowledge about parenting in Swedish society and confidence in existing support services.
An important part of the project is the Parent Focus training, which focuses on strengthening relationships within the family.
The war in Ukraine has now been going on for three years. The situation remains serious and Erikshjälpen sees a great need for long-term interventions for affected children and families. Therefore, we are intensifying our work in the country and starting cooperation with three more organisations on the ground.
February 24 marks the start of the fourth year of war in Ukraine. Russian attacks continue to cause fear and insecurity for children. Recently, there has been talk of a potential peace in which the US would negotiate with Russia. But there are many concerns about what such a peace could mean. What is clear is that even if the bombs stopped falling tomorrow, the children of Ukraine still have a huge need.
The Women's Consortium of Ukraine distributes emergency packages to families in Zaporizhzhia. Photo: Women's Consortium of Ukraine
The Women's Consortium of Ukraine distributes emergency packages to families in Zaporizhzhia. Photo: Women's Consortium of Ukraine
Since the beginning of the warn 2022, Erikshjälpen has been on the ground in Ukraine. Part of our work includes material support and emergency aid, but also psychosocial support to give children safe places in the chaos. The psychosocial support serves as anshelter from the war. Children are given a place to play and be creative as a way to process what they have been through. Quite simply, a place where they can be children. This is work that must not stop just because peace is in place.
New partner organizations
To strengthen the work in the country, Erikshjälpen has started working with three new organisations on the ground in Ukraine.
Through this, Erikshjälpen wants to send a clear signal: We are not leaving Ukraine. We are gearing up to meet the enormous needs that the children in the country have and will have for a long time to come.
Erikshjälpen has previously cooperated with the organization Women Consortium of Ukraine (WCU). The organization has extensive experience in humanitarian interventions, both before and after Russia's full-scale invasion. WCUU supports families with children with cash, food, hygiene items, legal assistance and psychosocial support. Now theoperations in the country have been expanded with three new organisations.
Erikshjälpen's new partner organizations
Voices of Children
The Voices of Children's Center in Mykolajiv offers psychological support to children through individual and group counseling and psychosocial activities. Each month, the center receives around 300 participants, of which around 100 are new. The organization focuses on helping children cope with the trauma of war and creating a safe environment for their recovery.
Dobrobut
The Ukrainian charity 'Eudemony of Ukraine' works with children on a non-violent basis, emphasizing safety, respect and empathy. During the war, the focus has been on psychosocial support and strengthening children's resilience through a safe and communicative environment. The approach is adapted to the age and needs of children to provide the right support and engagement.
Martin Club
The GO MARTIN Club has been supporting children and women affected by poverty, war and violence since 1999. The organization works to provide them with social skills and opportunities for a better life. They promote a safe environment for children to grow up in, have zero tolerance for violence, and work with government and civil society to drive social reform.
Lena Elf
Press officer
Listening 