People are fleeing for their lives, and many feel the need to ”do something”. Although your money is scarce as a student, there are plenty of things you can do to help out.
When Amanda Angelöw came to Lund three years ago, she was pleasantly surprised that the city offered so many ways to get involved.
“At first, it felt like a jungle, but after some research, I decided on Rädda barnen and their project for helping child refugees in transit accommodation.”
She went to a transit-accomodation centre with the project Kids and transit and played with the children, both to give them a better everyday life, as well as to act as relief for the parents. Her engagement grew quickly and half a year later, she was elected chairperson of Rädda barnen in Lund.
“It is exciting in a completely different way being active within the organisation itself. You get a more general view of all the work the 120 or so volunteers are doing. Then, you see that although there are many students, we have great breadth, not only in projects, but also in volunteers,” she says.
Start with some research
If you want to get involved in something, Amanda Angelöw thinks it is a good idea to start doing some research.
“It is important to google a bit and get a clearer picture of things, so as to find exactly what fits you, and what you are passionate about. You can always send an e-mail to an organisation that you find interesting, or stop by their offices for more information.”
Be realistic
According to Amanda Angelöw, one very common pitfall in the beginning is that many think they have more time to spare than they actually do.
“Be careful with taking on too much in the beginning; instead, be realistic and honest with both yourself and the organisation about how much time you actually have to spend there. Perhaps you can participate a couple of times per semester, or every week? It is better being explicit from the start, and there are projects that demand more time and those that demand less,” she says.
Amanda’s three tips if you want to help
Contribute economically: Become a monthly donor, give a one-time donation or initiate your own fund-raising campaign. If you want to initiate your own campaign, it is possible to do so both electronically and with collection boxes.
Give of your time: Get involved in a non-profit organisation working with refugees. As a volunteer in Rädda barnen in Lund, you can, among other things, visit transit accomodations or become a contact for child refugees arriving alone. There are also other organisations in Lund with similar projects, such as for example Tamam, The Red Cross, and the Swedish Red Cross Youth.
Show your support: Attend manifestations, sign appeals, and spread knowledge among your friends and acquantiances.
Translation: Richard Helander
