SDG: 10
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do
Benjamin and Arvid both grew up living far away from their grandparents. Due to this long distance they were only able to meet just a few times a year. Wanting to tighten the bond between the generations and knowing the benefits it will give to both groups, Benjamin and Arvid set up a test project in Växjö of 24 employees in 2007. Due to its success, Ung Omsorg was founded and now has over 1500 employees, working at 169 elderly homes in Sweden.
Project
Ung Omsorg bridges the gap between youths and seniors and allows intergenerational relationships to develop by organising various social activities such as going for walks, playing games, reading aloud or just having a simple chat over a cup of coffee. Ung Omsorg's mission is to bring a ray of sunshine into the lives of the elderly while also creating part time jobs for the younger, hopefully inspiring them to a long-term career in eldercare.
Impact story
Fatima is 15 years old, moving to Sweden when she was two. Since her grandparents still live in her home country, she rarely gets the opportunity to interact with the elderly. When representatives from Ung Omsorg visited her school, she was immediately captivated by the company’s ethos and was eager to be a part of their community. Working a few Saturdays a month she formed a strong bond with one of the elderly women at the care home. Not having her grandparents in the same country, this relationship was very important to Fatima. Now almost every Saturday, Fatima turns up a bit earlier in order to spend more time with her ‘Swedish grandmother’ before the scheduled activities begin.