Change?

Here I am, back in Sweden. Back in routines, back to work, back to my old self?

When I came home in the middle of the night the first thing I did was to go to my sons room, give him a kiss and tell him that mommy loves him. This is what I wish that all the children in the institutions or at the day care centre gets every night and every morning. To hear that mammy and daddy loves them. I have been faced with the facts that my wish is far from the reality.

I have also been told what we are doing, what IKEA’s Soft Toys for Education campaigns contributes to, how Save the Children International is helping Save the Children Lithuania and what Save the Children Lithuania is doing. And I am proud. Proud that I can still say that there are people who care! People who put their heart and soul into changing children’s rights and lives. Children themselves writing on paper hands, how they think parents should discipline them without violence, and then giving the paper hands to parliamentarian members.

Proud of IKEA and the IKEA Foundation. Because of what we do, we are changing the world. IKEA Foundation’s money goes to Lithuania and they are really making a difference. They are empowering communities and families so they get the possibility to keep their children and are able to give them a safe environment. They are educating community leaders so they also know children’s rights and that they need to have social workers and child psychologists for example.

Maybe the children that live at the institutions today only notice a small different but I truly believe that the children tomorrow don’t even need to go into institutional care. They are going to stay with their mothers or fathers, being told that they are loved. This is because of the massive work that IKEA, IKEA Foundation and Save the children are doing.

So, back to Sweden, back to routines, back to work and am I back to my old self?

No, I am never going to be my old self, I am always going to be a better version of myself. I am going to work harder than ever for the next campaigns, I am going to tell the world about what we do and how they can help. And I am always going to fight for Children’s rights!

Thank you for this opportunity, now it’s my turn to do some good hard work!

With love, Madelene