Svante starts his own fundraising campaigns for the children

When Svante was ten years old, he decided to make a difference for children in war-torn Ukraine. Svante swam a total of 1,600 meters at his local swimming pool, and for every meter he swam, people in his community made a donation to Erikshjälpen. Through his fundraiser , he fundraiser a total of 19,000 Swedish kronor (SEK) the children.

Svante's idea behind the fundraiser was that many of us live privileged lives, while others do not. By getting people to donate—for example, for him to swim—they can continue their normal lives while helping others.

"If everyone does the same thing, we can raise a lot of money. Not everyone wants to give anything, but you have to start somewhere," says Svante.

The so-called “Easter Swim” isn’t the only fundraiser Svante has fundraiser. When he was 7 years old, he sold paintings, and he has also skied to raise money for children in Uganda. On that occasion, he raised over 10,000 Swedish kronor (SEK).

"I noticed that if I did physical activities, I could get people to donate. And the greater the effort I made, the more money I raised," says Svante. Afterwards, I felt really good and proud of what I had done.

Svante’s tip for a successful fundraiser to set a date well in advance so there’s time to spread the word and find sponsors who are willing to participate. Make use of social media and be clear about where the money is going.

"You have to be persistent and fight for it," says Svante. "And explain what everything is going towards so that they don't think you're keeping it for yourself. I know that Erikshjälpen makes sure that the money goes to the right things, to the children."

Author: Lena Elf