Creativity is important to Gustav and has somehow always been there. He got it and his love for second hand from his mother, his upbringing and his childhood home. As a creator, he wants to shift the focus and show that there are other values in shopping and thinking sustainably. Gustav Broström is Sweden's Second Hand Profile 2023.

- Gustav Broström is a role model and a source of inspiration that opens more eyes to second hand and shows that it is for everyone! With our award, we want to show appreciation for the work he does and send encouragement for the future, says Anette Alm Gustafsson, Executive Director of Erikshjälpen Second Hand.

Gustav is 32 years old, born and raised in Stockholm. He has a background in journalism, fashion, skincare, design and advertising. He lives in Kungsholmen with his partner Hugo.

Gustav runs the Instagram account "Gustavsrum". It brings together both those who already love second hand and those who are new to the second hand market. Gustav has made a name for himself for his inspiring second-hand finds and appears both on TV and writes for the magazine Antik och Auktion.

Gustav Broström
A dining table is festively set with china, wine glasses, drinking glasses, small vases with flowers in them and a candlestick with a candle in it.
Gustav Broström
A dining table is festively set with china, wine glasses, drinking glasses, small vases with flowers in them and a candlestick with a candle in it.

The Instagram account became its own community

"Gustavsrum" is Gustav's social media space. There he shares his expertise in design and interior design and creates content with a strong focus on sustainable finds and reuse. He shows off his home, where he mixes objects from Svenskt Tenn and other design classics in beautiful still lifes, but also different types of reuse projects, tips on table settings and simple everyday objects that can easily be found second hand.

- I think there is as much joy in reading and gaining knowledge as there is in inspiring and sharing it. I want to inspire people to make something big out of something small.

Through his community, Gustav has made contact with many other creators who are also inspired to give things new uses and run various projects that create commitment to second hand and reuse.

- There is so much more to second-hand than just expensive teacups. You can buy bedding, plant dye and sew a new sofa cover. You can repaint lampshades and rebuild things," says Gustav.

How he became Sweden's Second Hand profile

Gustav Broström was one of three finalists nominated for the award Sweden's Second Hand Profile 2023. Next to him were the profiles Sara Wimmercranz and Emelie Norberg. Winning the award was something that made Gustav both proud and moved.

- It feels very unreal, but I was very happy and touched when I got the news. Especially when I heard that there were so many nominations and votes. It's great that you manage to reach out to people. I am moved and filled with joy and gratitude," he says.

Erikshjälpen's motivation for the win

He is a collector of beautiful things who has inspired thousands through his dedication. In his home, he mixes Swedish pewter with recycled and unusual ceramics. In a playful way, he shows that home-made decorations and design classics can go hand in hand and that everything from candles to furniture can be found on the second-hand market.

On his Instagram account "Gustavsrum", Gustav Broström shows how enjoyable it is to consume sustainably. By being a never-ending source of inspiration and knowledge, he opens more eyes to second hand and reuse. Gustav proves that second hand is for everyone, and thanks to him more stuff gets loved again.

Childhood home is a great inspiration

When Gustav was growing up, his mother bought a lot of second-hand clothes for her children. For them, visiting flea markets and second-hand shops was a way to socialize. Gustav is still inspired by his childhood home.

- We had a fairly ordinary but very cozy home, filled with textiles from Svenskt Tenn, which my mother sewed pillows, coasters and bedspreads from. That's where my love for Svenskt Tenn comes from, but also for crafts and the "Do it yourself" spirit.

Photographer: Mira Wickman

Gustav's mother taught him that a home doesn't have to be perfect, as long as it brings joy. To have a pleasant home, you have to dare to try.

- Buy that weird vase in the shape of a pineapple, that giant painting or that really weird mirror and try it. I challenge myself with that all the time. A home is never finished. There is a joy in trying new things, changing and learning more," says Gustav.

How to switch to shopping more second-hand

Gustav's best advice for switching to second-hand shopping is to plan your visits and visit second-hand shops frequently.

- It is difficult to make a financial profit on the second-hand market today. But there are other values - a slower pace, the everyday joy the object brings, the journey of the object and what the object symbolizes, for example," says Gustav and continues.

- I might buy a saucer in January but not find the matching cup until December. That wait gives the object a different value.

The profit is donated to Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad

As the winner, Gustav will receive Swedish kronor (SEK) 25,000 to donate to one of Erikshjälpen's projects for children's rights. The choice fell on Erikshjälpen's work with equal growing conditions, with a focus on Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad. Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad creates participation among children and young people in Sweden, through safe and creative meeting places around the country, run in collaboration with local actors.

- Growing up, I had the privilege of playing soccer, going to scouts, and acting. I want to believe that these contexts helped shape me as a person, and for that I am incredibly grateful. Therefore, I choose to support Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad because I believe in the power of creativity, having somewhere to be and that everyone should have equal conditions in society.

- By providing a physical space and activities, Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad creates meaningful contexts. It is invaluable, says Gustav.

About the Second Hand Profile of the Year award

Every year, Erikshjälpen Second Hand awards the Swedish Second Hand Profile to someone who, through their commitment, contributes to an increased interest in second hand and its possibilities. It can be about innovative ideas, creative solutions or smart environmental work through reuse.

The recipient of the Sweden's Second Hand Profile award receives a diploma and a statuette, as well as the right to award one of Erikshjälpen's projects for children's rights equivalent to 25,000 Swedish kronor (SEK).

Listening

Following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, almost 2 million children are in need of Humanitarian Assistance. Many children are fleeing alone, through unsafe and dangerous environments. Erikshjälpen is involved in relief efforts to support children and families in Ukraine - those who have crossed the country's borders and those who remain.

How we support refugees

We provide immediate assistance to displaced people, with a particular focus on the situation of children - how they can be protected if they are separated from their families, separated from their parents or when institutions are evacuated.

We have been working for many years in Ukraine's neighbors Romania and Republic of Moldova, with one of our Regional offices located in Romania. Together with local partner organisations and staff on the ground, we provide support to families coming across the border from Ukraine.

Our interventions are implemented in different phases. We divide the interventions to provide sustainable help over a longer period of time.

We give refugees the information they need

We help Ukrainian refugees register and provide them with the information they need, from safe transportation to their rights. We do this to reduce the risks that increase during flight, such as trafficking.

We offer psychosocial support in safe reception centers

In Republic of Moldova , we provide psychosocial support and safe children's activities in reception centers for Ukrainian refugees. In our reception centers, many minors have crossed the border without parents or other guardians and lack documentation.

We help refugee families stay connected

In Romania, Erikshjälpen focuses on social support for children and families crossing the border and has also started working with organisations specializing in translation, into Ukrainian and Russian.

Through a collaboration with NetOnNet in Sweden, Erikshjälpen, through its partner, can provide several reception centers in Romania with chargers for mobile phones - something that many of the refugees forgot in the flight but which is necessary to keep in touch with family members and friends who remain in Ukraine.

We support Ukrainian refugees in Sweden

Refugee children and families are welcome to attend Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad , which is located in several places in Sweden. Here you can participate in activities that are designed together with other children and families in the locality for increased cohesion, networking and personal development. We offer the initiatives in collaboration with local actors from both authorities and civil society.

 

""
A car packed with supplies.
""
A car packed with supplies.

How we support those who remain

Our interventions inside Ukraine aim to help and support children and families who are forced to seek shelter or live as internally displaced persons. Our partner on the ground is working to provide those in need with food, water, blankets, clothing and other necessities. We also provide psychosocial support and social assistance to affected people - directly on the ground but also by phone and online.

Many of the internally displaced are children and young people. They are forced into difficult routes, with unsafe transportation and accommodation. We are working to strengthen their protection, with the help of our local partners, who are working on the ground to meet the unique needs of each child.

Author: Elin Jonsson

Erikshjälpen works to enable more girls to go to school, to give them the opportunity to influence their lives and their future. During the International Education Day on January 24, we highlight our work in Bangladesh, which is one of the projects in the Postcode Lottery's major thematic initiative for girls' education.

260 million children worldwide do not attend school, despite the fact that all children have the right to do so. Of the children who miss out on schooling, girls are clearly overrepresented. Erikshjälpen is working in many ways to change this.

In the coastal areas of Bangladesh, poverty is enormous. The situation means that child labor, school dropout, child marriage and migration due to climate change are a major part of children's daily lives. The government schools that currently exist are inadequate and it is difficult to recruit teachers. Many girls drop out of school after grade five.

From dropout to hope

In the summer of 2022, we launched a three-year project in two of Bangladesh's poorest coastal districts - where the first steps were taken to build eight new schools. The project "From dropout to hope", Erikshjälpen does together Codec and Friendship - two local partner organisations.

The work is funded by the Postcode Lottery, where Erikshjälpen is one of seven organisations that together have received Swedish kronor (SEK) 50 million to promote girls' right to education. Read more about the Postcode Lottery's thematic initiative here.

This is what we do in the project

  • We are building eight schools for grades six to eight (equivalent to secondary school).
  • Schools are placed close to children's homes to prevent school drop-out.
  • The schools are being built with sustainable technology and solar panels, to enable digital education via monitors by some of Dhaka's best teachers.
  • We allow children to participate in children's rights groups where their confidence is strengthened, so that they can grow as individuals and learn to stand up for themselves.
  • We will increase the preparedness of families in relation to climate change and severe weather changes.
  • We advocate in the area, so that the adult world takes girls' right to education seriously.

In this work, the future students are part of the project, and we will follow them on their path to education. They will be involved in discussions about the building and participate in workshops where they can dream and plan together. 

The whole community benefits from girls' right to education

Investing in girls' education is investing in whole communities. More children have more choices, can get jobs and become more independent. This is vital for them, their families and the communities around them.

This week, the Green Party's spokesperson Märta Stenevi visited Erikshjälpen's Future Workshop in Gränby, Uppsala. The young people in the Future Workshop presented their activities and got to ask Märta questions on various topics, such as injustices in public transport and the growing mental illness among young people.

- "It was incredibly inspiring to hear about Erikshjälpen's work in Gränby. They work broadly to give children, young people and parents a sense of participation and self-determination in their neighborhood, says Märta.

In Gränby, many children and young people feel that there is a strong negative image of the area and those who live there. Erikshjälpen's Future Workshop has become a platform where young people can make their voices heard to the public and decision-makers.

- "Young people being more involved in how neighborhoods are developed makes them more inclusive, safe and vibrant," says Hanna Löfstrand, Head of Unit for Erikshjälpen's Future Workshop.

If we are to break the negative criminal spiral, resources need to be deployed early on from various sources, so that children who are hurting at home or have fallen into trouble are caught.
Märta Stenevi

About Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad in Gränby

Erikshjälpen's Future Workshop in Gränby started in the spring of 2021. Today there are many different activities for both girls and boys. Such as different types of groups in dance, boy and girl groups, nature and culture, but they have also started to organize camps for the young people.

- "We also have a positive collaboration with the municipality with vacation youth, which is now entering its third year," says Hanna Löfstrand. "This year, the focus is on activities for children at various leisure activities that will give young people increased knowledge of the Convention on the Rights of the Child based on Erikshjälpen's material, 'Barnrättsäventyret'.

 

Märta Stenevi had time to talk to the young people in Gränby. It was a conversation that covered everything from injustices in
public transport to the increase in mental health problems among young people.

Märta Stenevi talks to young people from Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad.

Engaging conversations on injustice and mental health

When Erikshjälpen's Future Workshop and the young people had talked about the activities in Gränby, it was time for the young people to ask Märta Stenevi questions. It was a good conversation that dealt with everything from injustices in public transport to the increased mental illness among young people.

- During the spring, I have traveled around the country and met with police officers, teachers, social workers and actors from civil society who all work with young people, says Märta Stenevi and continues:

- Everyone says the same thing. If we are to break the negative criminal spiral, resources need to be deployed early on from various sources, so that children who are hurting at home or have fallen into trouble are caught.

Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad offers young people a place and a context where they can be in the summer - for all children's right to a meaningful leisure time.

Summer vacation is the time of year when many of the inequalities in growing up in Sweden become most apparent. Graduations and student parties are just around the corner, and many children and young people get a well-deserved summer break after a busy school year. But the summer break is also a time of hardship for many.

Many families in Sweden struggle financially during the summer period. Not everyone can afford to go on vacation and many children stay at home, with nothing to do.

Young people lack the resources to get their first summer job, leading to a lack of activities and employment for several months. This lack can lead to a feeling of hopelessness - a feeling and situation that criminal gangs like to exploit to recruit new members.

A boy runs with a giant soap bubble through a residential area.
A boy runs with a giant soap bubble through a residential area.

We offer vacation internships during the summer

Every year, Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstäder takes in young people as vacation interns and offers them a job during the summer. The vacation internship gives the young people a context, but also an income and lessons that can be built on in future summers - as a valuable line in a CV. During the internship, young people can organize activities for other young people, take part in local events, and participate in advocacy activities, such as interviewing people in power.

Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad Linköping welcomes four young people who are doing their holiday internship on site in the Skäggetorp area this year.

- "I'm looking forward to doing fun activities for children and young people in Skäggetorp," says one of the young people when they meet for an introduction at the Future Workshop on June 2.

For further information

Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad

Support Erikshjälpen Framtidsverkstad

Your gift plays an important role in the work of our Future Workshops. It is through your commitment to children's rights that we can run the Future Workshops and offer young people in underprivileged areas a summer job. Make a donation to our work for children in Sweden and help give more children the right to a meaningful summer.

This week, the Ugandan President approved one of the world's strictest LGBTI laws - where, among other things, "aggravated homosexuality" can lead to the death penalty. Erikshjälpen strongly opposes the new law as it violates human rights and complicates our work in the country.

Uganda has long had strict anti-gay laws. In 2014, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a controversial law aimed at banning homosexuality. The law imposes severe penalties for same-sex relationships and 'homosexual acts', including life imprisonment for repeated offenses. Now the laws are being tightened further - meaning that a person's sexuality in the country can lead to the death penalty. The new laws also target bisexual, transgender and queer people.

A rainbow-colored LGBTQ flag waves in the wind.

A question of human rights

Erikshjälpen has several interventions in Uganda, where we work together with local partner organisations to ensure that children's rights are met. Our work is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasizes the equal and unique value of all individuals, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs or religion.

Punishing people because of their sexuality jeopardizes their fundamental freedoms and rights. The laws also create a climate of fear and hatred, leading to stigmatization, persecution and violence - where people are forced to live in secret or flee the country to avoid harassment and discrimination.

We strongly oppose the new law. Not only does it violate everyone's right to their sexuality, it's a violation of human rights - and it makes our vital work for the children of Uganda more difficult. And the world they dream of.

Our values
East Africa
LGBTI (RFSL)

In a time of transition, we need inspiring role models - who show that it is not only necessary but also fun to switch to sustainable consumption. One such role model is Isabelle McAllister, who is now awarded Erikshjälpen Second Hand's Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2022 award. Isabelle will donate the prize money to work for girls' Menstrual health.

- Forces like Isabelle McAllister are really needed in our society! She is a role model and a source of inspiration and through our award we want to both show appreciation for the work she has already done and send encouragement for the future, says Anette Alm Gustafsson, Executive Director of Erikshjälpen Second Hand.

Through Programme programs like "Äntligen hemma", "Fixa rummet" and "Sommartorpet", Isabelle McAllister has become a colorful interior design profile with the entire Swedish population. It has always been obvious to her to use second hand in her interior design, but in the past she did not talk much about the benefits.

In recent years, Isabelle has become more vocal. She has trained in climate and sustainability issues and today calls herself a creative transition activist. In 2021, she published the book "Skavank", which is about gadgets, our relationship with them and how we can best repair and care for them.

- "Half of the book is about gadgets and consumption, in the other half I talk about different materials and how we can take care of them," she says.

Isabelle Mcallister holds up two plates in front of her face so that only one of her eyes is visible. She is smiling big.
A cat is lying on a sofa made with different fabrics.
Isabelle Mcallister holds up two plates in front of her face so that only one of her eyes is visible. She is smiling big.
A cat is lying on a sofa made with different fabrics.

With this book, Isabelle wants to both challenge old patterns of thought and show how old and worn-out things can be given new life. What if we realize that things that have been owned and handled - by us or by others - have something that the new lacks? If we start to see the beauty in the imperfections, and understand the satisfaction that taking care of our stuff can actually give us?

- Use what you already have - as long as you can, urges Isabelle McAllister.

- We won't save the world by mending a shirt, but I think working with your hands is good for your body and your system. By taking care of what we have, we also start caring for it more.

Erikshjälpen Second Hand hopes that many listen to Isabelle's call.

- Isabelle's ability to see the beauty in the scratched and worn is something we hope many can be inspired by and emulate. If we all make small changes in our consumption behavior, together we can make a difference. It feels really great to be able to present this award to Isabelle," says Josefine Janossy, Marketing and Concept Manager at Erikshjälpen Second Hand.

Isabelle McAllister was nominated alongside the Climate Club's Maria Soxbo and Emma Sundh, as well as the Vintage Man Ingemar Albertsson for the Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2022 award, which is awarded annually by Sweden's leading non-profit second-hand player. Isabelle is very proud to receive the award.

- It's the ultimate prize for an old flea market rat like me. I am so proud and happy and it feels so much fun. Second hand is really something I feel at home in and appreciate very much. It also makes sense to inspire others to use things as long as possible," she says.

As the winner, Isabelle will receive Swedish kronor (SEK) 25,000 to donate to one of Erikshjälpen's projects for children's rights. The choice fell on work for girls' Menstrual health, which includes educating children and parents around the world about menstruation, giving girls access to safe menstrual protection and ensuring that schools have hygienic and safe toilets.

- I wish we saw menstruation as a woman's power instead of something we are ashamed of. It's still so taboo," she says.

Motivation Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2022

Where throwaway has become the norm in society, Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2022 stands on the other side. She calls herself a creative change activist - and her heart beats hard for reuse. Where others see flaws, she sees opportunities.

In everything from books to television, and not least in social media, she creates engagement around sustainable consumption. She inspires and shares knowledge about how to extend the life of things, and also how to learn to appreciate the old and worn. Thanks to Isabelle McAllister, more things can be given new life and loved again, and again.

About the Second Hand Profile of the Year award

About the prize

Erikshjälpen Second Hand annually awards Sweden’s Second Hand Profile to someone who, through their commitment, contributes to an increased interest in second hand and its possibilities. It can be about innovative ideas, creative solutions or smart environmental work through reuse.

The winner of Sweden’s Second Hand Profile award receives a diploma and a statuette, as well as the right to award one of Erikshjälpen's projects for children's rights equivalent to 25,000 Swedish kronor (SEK).

The idea was born on a whiteboard, but the movement has grown far beyond the Malmö office. Crossed national borders and oceans. It has sprouted wings and is now flying on its own. No one is happier about that than Henning Gillberg, founder of White Monday - and Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2020.

Monday, November 25, 2019. There are five days left to this year's absolute shopping festival and in the mall at Hornstull in Stockholm, it is being prepared with signs and offers that will maximize the customers' spontaneous shopping craving.

This year's Black Friday will see Swedes' shopping profits reach new heights - over seven billion Swedish kronor (SEK). But Henning Gillberg doesn't know that yet, as he stands in black trousers, white shirt and white jacket, looking out over the circular pop-up shop that has taken up residence in the mall for the day. What he has just learned, however, makes him touch his forehead and say frankly:

- I actually get a little teary-eyed.

Breathing.

- Ikea is in! Ikea is skipping Black Friday and has put White Monday on its homepage. Wow!

Five hours later, in a (fittingly) white conference room a couple of floors up, American enthusiasm pours out of the laptop's speakers. "WITH US TODAY WE HAVE HENNING GILLBERG FROM SWEDEN - THE FOOOOOUNDER OF WHITE MONDAY!"

I want to get everyone thinking circular
Henning Gillberg
Henning Gillber is sitting at a conference table with his laptop. He looks like he is talking to someone through the computer because he is gesturing with his hands.
Photo collage with several pictures of different people holding up signs saying "#whitemoday".
Henning Gillber is sitting at a conference table with his laptop. He looks like he is talking to someone through the computer because he is gesturing with his hands.
Photo collage with several pictures of different people holding up signs saying "#whitemoday".

Live on Facebook, Henning Gillberg talks to a US-based courier company about the ideas behind the White Monday concept and offers tips on how they can continue to spread the movement "over there". Two weeks ago, he was in Singapore to launch the concept. Positive reports are coming in from there, as well as from Germany, Serbia, Kenya, Turkey, Canada...

- The first year we had 30 participants, the second year 180. This year we are over 500 participants from 23 countries. There is a greater calm in me now, because outside of me there is now a movement that is not dependent on me as a person. White Monday has gone from being something that the media thinks is a bit of fun to highlight, to really becoming a movement among the people. And only then can we make a real difference.

Three years have passed since Henning Gillberg, together with a colleague at the time, formulated the concept of White Monday. As a kind of counterpoint to the unsustainable consumerism that Black Friday as a concept stands for, he felt a clear need to point to a different way of consuming. At the time, as now, he was the CEO of his own Corporate Repamera, whose business idea is to patch and repair customers' broken clothes. His experience was that many customers did not know that it is possible to consume in a circular way, that is, to make use of what already exists. Either by patching and repairing, buying second-hand, buying goods made from recycled materials or renting goods instead of buying.

- White Monday's core message is to showcase an alternative to new consumption. We're not saying don't consume at all or never buy anything new. But we do need to find the balance between new innovation and making the most of what we already have. Do you really need to buy a drill to drill a hole in the wall or is it enough to rent one for a few hours, drill your hole and then return it? If your pants break, do you really need to throw them away and buy a new pair, or can you mend them and keep using them?

The first step was to mobilize Corporate circular economy stakeholders and provide them with a common platform from which they could become a stronger voice and show customers clear alternatives. In addition, organisations, associations and, not least, influencers made the movement visible on social media by actively promoting its message.

- We make the average person understand the difference between new consumption and circular consumption and in that way I think we make a difference. It is when we activate consumers that change happens," says Henning Gillberg.

 

So where does his own commitment to the issue come from? He finds it difficult to substantiate it in words, he says. Perhaps his simple upbringing in Lenhovda in the deepest forests of Småland, with two part-time nurses as parents and many siblings, played a role in his view of the importance of material things? Maybe it's the entrepreneurial spirit that led him to first study product design and circular economy at Malmö University and then to start Repamera, the company where he initially cycled around the streets of Malmö to pick up his customers' clothes in need of repair?

What is clear is that he is passionate about sustainability - but that the last thing he wants is to become a trendy campaigner for the same.

- My main job is to get everyone who participates in White Monday to not make it a sustainability campaign. We want to get everyone to start thinking and consuming in a circular way, it's good for all parties and also for Mother Earth. If you say it's a sustainability campaign, I think you only capture the target group that already thinks about these issues. We want to get everyone thinking circularly, whether you vote left or right, whether you are angry or happy, stupid or kind, tall or short. It's good for everyone and for Mother Earth.

MOTIVATION SWEDEN SECOND HAND PROFILE 2020

Year after year, commercial retailers shout their message with a force that makes us buy billions of Swedish kronor (SEK) worth of new products - and that's just for one day. What started as a witty play on words has now established itself as a growing counter-movement that engages everyone from private individuals and influencers to organisations and Corporate - in Sweden but also internationally.
As the founder of White Monday, Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2020 has with great commitment created a powerful movement that drives the important development towards a more circular consumption. A movement that is undoubtedly the new black.

 

About the Second Hand Profile of the Year award

The prize Sweden’s Second Hand Profile is awarded annually to someone who has distinguished themselves in a special way within second hand. In addition to a diploma and statuette, the winner gets to allocate 25,000 Swedish kronor (SEK) to one of Erikshjälpen's projects for children's rights.

Henning Gillberg received the prize on Wednesday, October 7 at an event in Erikshjälpen Second Hand's store in Malmö. He chose to award his prize money to Erikshjälpen's work Solrosen, which provides Support to children with detained parents.

Listening

In a time of social distancing, Rafiki wants to bridge the gap between children in different countries. Now, e-lessons are being launched that invite the world into the classroom.

Through pictures, films and children's own stories, Swedish primary and secondary school students learn more about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the global goals.

The work on e-lessons began in the fall of 2019 to reach even more educators and students around Sweden.

– With the current situation, the lessons feel even more relevant and timely. Through this development of Rafiki, even more children can receive education about children's rights and tools to be involved and create change, says Birgitta Johansson, program manager at Erikshjälpen.

– Rights and values issues are an important part of IM's work and at a time when the Convention on the Rights of the Child has just become law in Sweden, it feels extra important to be involved in supporting the work with e-lessons for future generations' continued work with global development, says Annika Thelin, regional manager at IM, Individual Human Support .

A hand holds a mobile phone with Rafiki's website up, with the prompt "Find your lesson" in blue text.
An overview of lesson materials from Rafiki's website
A hand holds a mobile phone with Rafiki's website up, with the prompt "Find your lesson" in blue text.
An overview of lesson materials from Rafiki's website

Rafiki reached 60,000 students in 2019 and 7,500 educators downloaded the material. This was primarily through classroom visits, continuing education for educators, Rafiki's digital presence and Rafiki's magazine. With the new e-lessons, Rafiki hopes that more people around Sweden will benefit from the material on children's rights, core values and the global goals.

– With Rafiki, it should be easy for educators to integrate global development and children's equal rights into daily teaching. Regardless of what prior knowledge the educator has in the subject. For each lesson, there are therefore teacher instructions, connections to the curriculum and links for those who want to read on, says Andreas Hallman, Rafiki communicator.

We give children insight into other children's everyday lives and show similarities despite different living conditions.
Andreas Hallman

The lessons are also scalable and can be adapted to the needs and interests of the students. The educator can pick out exercises from the lessons or use the lesson in its entirety. They can be used in the classroom as well as for distance learning and homework. The focus is on the stories from and about children in different parts of the world.

– We give children insight into other children's everyday lives and show similarities despite different living conditions. It gives children a greater understanding of the equal value of all people. It also increases tolerance for differences and the desire to contribute to positive development in the world, says Andreas Hallman, communications officer at Rafiki.

Author: Sofia Denzler

About Rafiki

Rafiki creates e-lessons that invite the world into your classroom. In pictures, films and children's own stories, we weave important reflections on fundamental values, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the global goals. The lessons are adapted for grades 2–6. Rafiki also offers classroom visits, in-service training for teachers, lesson materials and a magazine. Rafiki started in 1994 and is a collaboration between the children's rights organization Erikshjälpen and IM. www.pedagog.rafiki.se

Deep-drilled wells with solar-powered pumps are providing people in rural areas outside Addis Ababa with completely new opportunities for health and livelihood. Thanks to the support of Lindströms Bil/Lexus Jönköping, many children now have a safer and healthier childhood.

In the countryside about 13 miles northeast of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, the vast majority of families make their living from farming. The area is rocky and dry. Lack of water has been the area's biggest challenge in the past, leading to problems such as poor hygiene, disease and food shortages due to small or destroyed harvests.

Two new wells in 2020

Together with the local partner organization Feed the Children Organization, FTCO, Erikshjälpen started a water project in 2017 to drill wells in the area. A drilled well costs approximately 215,000 Swedish kronor (SEK). By utilizing the sun's energy, and providing the wells with solar panel-powered pumps, families and entire villages have sustainably gained access to water that both improves health, develops agriculture and provides new income, as well as giving children better opportunities for education when they do not have to spend several hours every day to fetch water.

In 2020, two wells were completed in the area and are now used by a total of around 130 families, both for domestic and agricultural purposes. The operation and management of the wells has been handed over to the local communities, where teams have been appointed and trained to take care of different aspects of the management.

Two children in blue shirts stand with yellow water bottles at a water well in Ethiopia
Solar panels to deep-drilled wells with pumps are empowering people in rural areas outside Addis Ababa.
Two children in blue shirts stand with yellow water bottles at a water well in Ethiopia
Solar panels to deep-drilled wells with pumps are empowering people in rural areas outside Addis Ababa.

New income and more nutrition

Before the water project started in 2017, a study in the area showed, among other things, that 95% of families did not sell any crops at the market, as they needed everything they grew to feed their own family. The diet was monotonous and the lack of clean water caused poor hygiene and disease. Many women and children also had to spend a lot of time collecting water. In November 2020, a survey was conducted among families using three of the wells drilled in the project. The survey showed many positive results, including that all school-age children are now attending school. The incidence of diarrhoeal diseases is low. Food has become more varied and therefore more nutritious, which is especially important for growing children. More than 95% of families report that they have sold crops at the market in the past year, thereby earning an income.

Lindström's car has contributed to a change that is of great benefit to children and families today - but also for a long time to come. Access to clean water creates opportunities for good livelihoods and health, but also for children's education and security. It provides the conditions for families and entire communities to lift themselves out of poverty.

Author: Sofia Denzler

Pay with Swish by scanning the QR code

Listening
QR code Erikshjälpen
Do this:
  1. Open the Swish app.
  2. Press "Scan" and point the camera over the QR code.
  3. Confirm and sign the payment with mobile BankID.