Background on partnership
Save the Children and the IKEA Group have been working together since 1994, in particular on issues related to children used in harmful labour. Save the Children supported the development of IKEA’s child labour code of conduct “The IKEA Way on Preventing Child Labour”, which is part of IKEA’s overall code of conduct “The IKEA Way on Purchasing home furnishing products” (IWAY).
Save the Children and the IKEA Foundation (the philanthropic arm of IKEA and registered Dutch charity) work together to actualize children's rights to a healthy and secure childhood with access to quality education. By listening to and learning from children, we develop long-term projects that empower communities to create a better everyday life for the many children.
The IKEA Foundation estimates that 100 million children will benefit from their current programmes commitments with over 10 partners, including Save the Children, by 2015.
A key aspect of our partnership is an annual campaign, where a donation is made to Save the Children and UNICEF for every soft toy sold by IKEA in the two months before Christmas. The Soft Toy Campaign aims to improve the education of the most disadvantaged children while recognizing that education is one of the best investments for them. Since 2003, the Soft Toy Campaign has raised a total of 35.2 million euros to support over 70 projects in nearly 40 countries. The result has increased steadily each year and the 2010 campaign resulted in a donation totaling 11.4 million euros.
For more information please also visit www.ikeafoundation.org
Cotton:
General background: As one of the leading child rights organisations globally, Save the Children fights for children's rights and deliver immediate and lasting improvements to children's lives. In South Asia, the collaboration with the IKEA Foundation is a ground-breaking example of what can be done if stakeholders collaborating between sectors, join forces.
The IKEA Foundation has identified cotton and cotton-seed farming areas in India and Pakistan as areas where there is a great need to improve the rights and lives of children. This is why the IKEA Foundation supports long-term child rights and education programmes managed by Save the Children and UNICEF in a number of cotton producing states in India and Pakistan.
Children in India and Pakistan often lose several months of schooling or drop out of school altogether because they are in the cotton fields weeding or picking. Raising local awareness through women's self-help groups, child protection committees, children's groups and adolescent girls' collectives, plays an important role in strengthening children's rights, including the prevention and elimination of child labour.
By addressing the root causes of child labour the programmes aim to bring long-lasting improvements of children's rights, and by raising awareness among parents and local communities, the aim is to secure children's access to quality education. By listening to and learning from children, children's rights are made a reality for many children in India and Pakistan.
Children who have dropped out or never had the chance to go to school get access to education, sometimes through informal "bridge schools" before being eased into the conventional school system. The quality of mainstream education is enhanced by training school teachers in child-friendly teaching techniques and by introducing various learning aids.
Since 2006, the IKEA Foundation (then known as the IKEA Social Initiative) has supported UNICEF and Save the Children in implementing child rights programmes to prevent child labour and promote quality education in cotton and cottonseed farming areas. The aim is to create a protective and healthy environment for children in at least 15,000 villages in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan in India and in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan in Pakistan.
Soft Toy Campaign:
General background: Every child has the right to education, yet 69 million children are being denied that right. The IKEA Foundation is funding Save the Children and UNICEF programmes aiming to help ensure that all children are able to receive a quality education across the world.
During the holiday season at the end of each year, one euro (approximately $1.40 USD), for every soft toy sold in IKEA stores is donated by the IKEA Foundation, split between Save the Children and UNICEF, in support of educational programmes around the world.
An estimated 8 million children benefit through better schooling, e.g. creating child-friendly schools with well-trained teachers for all children, girls and boys, including those from ethnic minorities and those with special needs.
Since 2003, the Soft Toy Campaign has raised a total of 35.2 million euros to support over 70 projects in nearly 40 countries. The result has increased steadily each year and the 2010 campaign resulted in a donation totaling 11.4 million euros.
The Soft Toy Campaign aims to improve the education of the most disadvantaged children while recognizing that education is one of the best investments for them.
“Achieving sustainable and large scale changes in society can only be done through collaboration between sectors. The collaboration between Save the Children and the IKEA Group spans over a decade and we are proud and honoured to work together with such a dedicated partner as the IKEA Foundation, in the fight for the actualization of children’s rights to a healthy, secure childhood and quality education,” says Elisabeth Dahlin, Chairman, the IKEA Foundation Collaboration Steering Committee and Secretary General, Save the Children Sweden.
SOFT TOY CAMPAIGN 2010 THANK YOU RELEASE:
IKEA Soft Toy Campaign 2010
UNICEF and Save the Children thank IKEA® customers for 11.4 million euro donation
IKEA customers and co-workers have enabled the IKEA Foundation to donate a total of 11.4 million euro to UNICEF and Save the Children projects to help realise every child’s right to a quality education following the 2010 IKEA Soft Toys movement.
The IKEA Foundation is donating 1 euro for each of the record 8.6 million soft toys and children’s books sold in over 300 IKEA stores worldwide during November xx to December xx, as well as 1 euro for every Children’s IKEA product and a special Soft Toy Kids’ Meal sold during the final week of the 2010 campaign. Since 2003, the annual Soft Toy campaign has enabled donations of 35.2 million euro, helping eight million children in close to 40 countries.
The IKEA Foundation believes all children should have access to quality education. Thanks to this donation, UNICEF and Save the Children can extend current projects and start new ones in 22 countries, for example in Africa, Eastern Europe and in Asia. The projects contribute to better water and toilet facilities in schools, improve access to education for minority children, provide educational supplies and train teachers in child-friendly teaching techniques. “We are very grateful for the support that IKEA customers continue to give to raise funds that will help children worldwide realize their fundamental right to an education” said Leila Pakkala, UNICEF Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships.
“We would like to thank all the IKEA customers who joined the campaign. Thanks to them and the efforts of IKEA co-workers all over the world, many children will be able to go to school and get an education. We are deeply grateful to them for joining us and the IKEA Foundation in the fight for the actualization of children’s rights to a healthy, secure childhood and a quality education,” says Elisabeth Dahlin, Chairman of the Save the Children – the IKEA Foundation Collaboration Steering Committee and Secretary General, Save the Children Sweden.
In addition to these UNICEF and Save the Children projects, several local charitable causes were supported. Over 10 IKEA retail countries organised local “give twice” activities, where customers gave away nearly 40,000 purchased soft toys to local children hospitals, children crisis centres and institutions.
2011 Soft Toy Projects funded by the 2010 Soft Toy Campaign
Five Save the Children member countries will benefit from the IKEA Soft Toy Campaign 2010 and Save the Children will run programs in Vietnam, Albania, China, Romania and Bangladesh.
Education for ethnic minority children in Vietnam: In Vietnam only 78% of ethnic minority children enrol in primary school. Even for those who are enroled , there are big differences in the quality of education leaving minority children achieving lower school results with reduced life chances.
Save the Children supports 184 schools in 92 communities to develop child friendly learning environments. Through teacher training and producing learning materials using minority languages we improve the quality of teaching in these schools.
By the end of this project 15 000 children in 184 schools will experience more child-friendly learning environments. 92 communities will be more involved in their children’s education through closer links between communities and school. 543 teachers will enjoy improved teaching skills.
- Link to IKEA UK co-worker field trip to Vietnam 2010, arranged by Save the Children UK
Fighting discrimination and violence in Albanian schools: Teachers often use harsh methods to keep classroom discipline in Albania. School drop-out and non-enrolment rates are high, particularly for poor children and children of the Roma and Egyptian community. The education system isn’t prepared to include children with disabilities and special needs and doesn’t recognize children’s and parents’ participation as valuable.
We focus on training and supervision of teachers to practice non-discrimination and to provide an inclusive, child-friendly, non-violent school environment. We also promote children’s participation in schools through Children’s Government.
Save the Children will help to ensure that violence in school is reduced and an increased number of Roma/Egyptian children as well as children with disabilities attend school. We expect improved academic results in 60 schools in 6 regions.
Education for China’s poorest: Poor quality education drives poverty like no other single factor. In the poorest counties of Yunnan Province, China, children complete an average of just 3,5 years education. There’s an extreme lack of Early Childhood Development (ECD) services for disadvantaged children in rural areas in China along with teachers without adequate training. This results in substandard education which leads children of poor parents to remain poor.
Save the children’s aim with this project is to dramatically increase the number of children receiving high quality ECD and basic education in Shanghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Yunnan. By working through existing institutions we will ensure that community-based ECD centres and teacher training systems are taken over by local partners so that access to these will remain after the project is finished.
40 000 poor and marginalized children (6-12 years) will receive basic education with increased quality and 10 000 children (3-6 years) will get improved access to community-based Early Childhood Development services.
Positive parenting for positive children in Romania: The quality of family life is fundamental to the wellbeing of children. In Romania the use of corporal punishment along with verbal and emotional abuse against children is often a common parenting practice. Family risk factors such as poor parenting, family conflict and marriage breakdown strongly influence children’s development increasing the risk of children developing major problems. Parents generally receive little preparation for parenthood.
This project aims at promoting and implementing parenting services to enhance the quality of care for children and to engage families in parenting programmes. In the end Save the Children aims at promoting children’s right to protection from all forms of violence in order to contribute to a safe, social-emotional development for children.
In at least 150 families and 20 schools and kindergartens, 3 500 children will benefit from responsible parenting. Also, 100 teachers will receive training in learning techniques based on the rights of the child.
Basic education and vocational training for children in Bangladesh: Many parents are not aware of the value of education to secure a better future for their children. They prefer that they start working at an early age to contribute to the income of their families. Only 47 percent of the children in Bangladesh complete primary education, and more than 7 million children are out of school.
The core activities of this project include providing awareness to parents and communities about children’s rights and the long term benefits of education and vocational training and non-formal basic education and vocational skill training, along with capacity building and technical training by local NGOs.
By the end of this project 27,000 children, aged 5-14 years, will have successfully completed a primary education. 5,000 parents and 3,000 community people will have learnt about children’s rights and the long term benefits of education. A technical institution has also been developed to strengthen institutional capacity building.
- Link to IKEA UK customer field trip to Bangladesh 2010, arranged by Save the Children UK
Emergencies
Background: Every year, millions of people lose almost everything – their homes and belongings – in natural disasters and conflicts. In addition to medicine, food and shelter, children need a safe place to stay during the day. They need protection against violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect and they need access to proper healthcare and sanitation facilities. During a crisis, their education is often hampered by the fact that the schools are destroyed or repurposed for relief efforts.
Save the Children supports children not only during the most critical phase, but also in the long term. The IKEA Foundation (previously known as IKEA Social Initiative) has been one of the major donors in Save the Children’s response in emergencies since 2007 and has chosen to support victims of large natural disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the flooding in Pakistan, to address their critical needs for a place to call home. In addition, IKEA retail countries help financially and through in-kind support during national disasters.
Examples of emergency aid funded by the IKEA Foundation:
Bangladesh Cyclone Sidr 2007: Each year in Bangladesh about 26,000 sq km, 18 percent of the country, is flooded. During severe floods, the affected area can exceed 55 percent of the total area of the country. Devastating floods have struck in Bangladesh in 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2008.
In 2007 the flood affected 39 of 64 districts and 10.5 million people. More than 7000 people died.
Based on extensive experience, Save the Children has realized that providing immediate relief is not enough. In order to protect children and ensure their development, long term intervention is needed.
Children need protection against violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect and they need access to proper healthcare and sanitation facilities. Furthermore, their education is hampered by the facts that schools are not repaired and education materials have been lost.
Funded by the IKEA Social Initiative (today incorporated into the IKEA Foundation), Save the Children reached over 200,000 families with relief aid and helped communities to rebuild schools, roads and sources of livelihoods in seven districts. Child friendly spaces were established that provided more than 20,000 children with a safe environment where they were protected from violence and abuse. It was also important to give the children play and learning opportunities to help them cope after the disaster.
Burma/Myanmar Cyclone Nargis 2008: In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar causing widespread destruction and loss of life.
Official figures put the death toll at 140,000, but it is estimated that 2.4 million of the 7.35 million people living in the affected townships were severely affected by the cyclone, with up to 800,000 people displaced. According to the UN, children were estimated to represent 45% of this figure.
Save the Children was able to respond quickly to the emergency situation in Myanmar by rapidly deploying existing national staff from its long running development programme. Save the Children implemented food and non-food item distribution, health, nutrition, livelihood, child protection, education, WASH (water and sanitation), emergency shelter and disaster risk reduction programmes. Save the Children has reached 620,000 people including 200,000 children.
As part of the IKEA partnership, the IKEA Social Initiative (today incorporated into the IKEA Foundation) distributed 200,000 soft toys (crocodiles and hippos), which reached Myanmar in a series of shipments between September and November 2008.
The toys were distributed at the Child Friendly Spaces established by Save the Children. These Child Friendly Spaces gave girls and boys a safe place to play, to express themselves, and to support each other in the days, weeks and months after Cyclone Nargis. The toys were used during treatment to help children recover from their trauma and had a significant impact for many children.
Working in 11 of the affected townships, Save the Children’s child protection team established 157 child friendly spaces which reached over 135,000 children. More than 300 community volunteers were trained to support children and to facilitate games, songs, health and hygiene awareness-raising etc.
The IKEA Foundation also supports Save the Children in more long-term reconstruction work. Thanks to funding from the IKEA Foundation, we can make it possible for many of these children whose schools were damaged or destroyed by the cyclone to get an education.
The project is designed to reach 20,000 children and to integrate into Save the Children’s long term work in Myanmar in strengthening child protection. By addressing these issues we will ensure better protection for children from abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation, and from disaster related risks and hazards. Furthermore, girls and boys will be better prepared to protect themselves in the event of future emergencies.
India Cyclone Nargis 2008: In September 2008 Cyclone Nargis struck the Bihar region of India, causing the worst floods the area has seen in 50 years. According to the Indian government, more than 4.7 million people were affected in some way.
Thousands of hectares of crops were destroyed, causing dramatic consequences in terms of food shortages and loss of livelihood. Already, before the floods, the Bihar region was fighting against growing poverty and lack of education for children; 58 percent of the children were estimated to be malnourished and only 15 percent completed primary education.
Thanks to funding from the IKEA Social Initiative (today incorporated into the IKEA Foundation), Save the Children could respond immediately and reached 10,000 families, including 40,000 children. Besides food, medicines and hygiene articles, the IKEA Foundation supported Save the Children in setting up 80 child friendly spaces in three districts, where children could be protected, and were able to play and get psychological support.
With the IKEA Foundation’s support, Save the Children provided school kits for 5000 primary school children, so that children who lost their education materials could resume schooling. The school kits handed out included a school bag, a water bottle, a pencil box and pencils, an eraser, sharpener, ruler, colour crayon set, note books and a school dress. The IKEA Foundation also donated Kastanj blankets that were distributed to 1724 flood affected families of Madhepura and Khagaria before the winter season.“
Pakistan Flooding 2010: The floods in Pakistan in July 2010 affected more than 21 million people, including at least 10 million children. The floods which hit the North-West of Pakistan were the worst floods to hit Pakistan in decades. Families in over 5,500 villages across Pakistan lost
homes, livestock, crops and livelihoods. The flooding destroyed roads, bridges, homes, local businesses and schools. Vast areas of farmland were ruined.
Children were exposed to contaminated drinking water, life-threatening diseases, food insecurity, loss of shelter and protection and disruption to their education as their families were displaced.
Save the Children has been working in Pakistan for 30 years and continues to be the largest responding agent on the ground. Within the first 30 days we reached over 305,000 people through emergency medical care, hygiene kits, food and shelter. 1.1 million people were provided with food assistance and we helped a further 283,000 vulnerable people by providing food vouchers and cash grants. We reached around 123,000 children with our emergency education programme and established 151 child friendly spaces where children can play safely.
The IKEA Social Initiative ((today incorporated into the IKEA Foundation), supported Save the Children’s efforts by donating blankets, pillows, soft toys and SUNNAN lamps among other things. This contribution contributed to alleviating the suffering of thousands of flood affected children and their families in a time of great distress.