Loza Foundation’s work in eastern Europe has been recognised all over Europe. It is now official that EU parliamentarian David Lega, a member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, will travel with Loza Foundation to North Macedonia on 3 October 2019.

”To talk about North Macedonia as a candidate country for the EU requires that they take better care of their most vulnerable citizens,” says David Lega.

Since 2017 Loza Foundation has been working to improve the living situation in Europe’s poorest and most deprived areas by supporting children’s homes and institutions for people with disabilities. In addition, in September of this year Loza Foundation together with the company BewiSynbra held the charity event Cycle4Europe where volunteers cycled through some of Europe’s poorest countries and raised over 600,000 Swedish kronor.

The next trip to North Macedonia is planned for the beginning of October, this time together with EU parliamentarian David Lega.

”The situation for many in North Macedonia is extremely difficult, but generally it is even more difficult for those with disabilities. To talk about North Macedonia as a candidate country for the EU requires that they take better care of their most vulnerable citizens,” says David Lega EU parliamentarian (KD) and member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Human Rights.

Read more: Cycle4Europe’s successful event raises over 600,000 Swedish kronor for Europe’s most deprived

David Lega has for a long time worked to bring attention to vulnerable groups with limited access to the resources and possibilities to make their voices heard. He has done so both in his previous role as municipal council in Gothenburg and lecturer for business and industry.

During the three day visit to North Macedonia David Lega will among other things meet with representatives from the government and participate in Loza Foundations work in the region. As a part of a campaign promise David Lega will also visit the institution for disabled in Demir Kapija, where the North Marcedonian government has promised to improve the living standards for the inhabitants.

”Demir Kapija is an example of how far they have come with their work to phase out these sort of institutions for the disabled and this journey can be seen as an inspection of this case,” says David Lega.

Sabina Grubbeson is the founder of Loza Foundation. As a non-political and non-religious organisation Loza Foundation wants more EU politicians from all parts of the political spectrum to be inspired to make similar trips.

”Hopefully it will lead to politicians leaving their offices and experience reality in the flesh and contribute to efforts that lead to faster results. There are people who lie on tarpaulins in beds without sheets and no toilets. It is unworthy, unreasonable and above all urgent. The fact that David Lega is travelling with us to North Macedonia will hopefully result in vulnerable groups being given even more attention. These are conditions that are difficult to understand until you have seen them with your own eyes. Human rights are neither a right nor left issue, therefore I hope more EU parliamentarians will follow suit,” says Sabina Grubbeson.

Thanks to our generous sponsors and individual donators, over 600,000 Swedish kronor has been raised during Loza Foundation’s charity event Cycle4Europe. Now can some of Europe’s most deprived children receive winter clothes, shoes and access to an education. Loza Foundation will also be able to establish itself in Kosovo for future projects.

”We are extremely grateful to BewiSynbra who have arranged this event together with Loza Foundation and for all the contributions that will help many. There is, however, a lot left to do, unfortunately, the living standards in many parts of Europe are below a level of what is considered dignified,” says Sabina Grubbeson, founder of Loza Foundation and initiator of Cycle4Europe.

On the 5th of September, three cyclists set off from Skopje in North Macedonia, with the goal of arriving in Sweden. Over the two weeks, they have been joined by a total of twenty other cyclists who have travelled all or part of the 1550-mile journey. On Friday, 19 September, the cyclists finally crossed the finish line in central Varberg on Sweden’s west coast.

”We have met people along the way who have told us that they’ve had a wake-up call, that they are glad that we are lifting the situation of Europe’s poorest. There are many people in Eastern Europe who would like to help their fellow citizens but unfortunately do not have the resources to do so,” says Sabina Grubbeson.

Cycle4Europe has received widespread media coverage in Europe and the campaign has brought in 600,000 Swedish kronor from private persons, businesses and sponsors. The collected resources will among other things finance winter clothing, shoes, English lessons and extra activities for orphaned children at a number of North Macedonian children’s homes. As well as this Loza Foundation can now establish projects in Kosovo which is one of Europes poorest countries. There are even enough resources to better the living standards for disabled and especially vulnerable people at institutions both in North Macedonia and in Bosnia where people are living under difficult conditions.

”Being the first time we have initiated a big campaign, it was definitely a success and the resources we have received will help many people. Even so, I believe and hope that this event has raised awareness of how bad the situation is for many of Europe’s poorest so that in our next campaign we will achieve even better results.”

Read more: Cycle4Europe promotes and strives towards socially sustainable development: “We want to help the most vulnerable people.”

The donations from this cycling event mainly solve short-term material challenges, but there is also positive long-term significance.

”Shortly before Cycle4Europe began, 50 bicycles were shipped to various children’s homes in North Macedonia, made possible by the donations made by private persons and businesses. In connection with the start in Skopje, a number of the children who had received the bicycles were in place to follow the cyclists out of town. Now, the staff at the children’s home have said that the only thing the children want to do is to cycle. At the same time as we help with clothing and schooling, we can also help the children feel like a part of society.”

Even though the cyclists from Cycle4Europe have now passed the finish line Sabina Grubbeson emphasizes that the work for Europes most deprived has really only just begun.

”During the campaign, we visited one of Europe’s poorest areas for Roma people, where people are living daily without enough food to eat. If the UN is to achieve its global goals it is important that we balance research and education with clear initiatives to solve acute problems to finally succeed in building socially sustainable societies.”

This is the UN’s global goal:

The 17-point agenda adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015 with a view to achieving certain goals by 2030. The goals include among other things, the global abolition of hunger, poverty and inequality.

Read more: globalgoals.org

Read more about cycle4Europe: lozafoudnation.org/cycle4europe/

More orphanages, a tolerable situation for disabled people and resources to be made available for women suffering from the effects of the war in Balkan. But most of all we want the opportunity to highlight the situation of the most vulnerable people in Europe and give them a future without stigmatisation. This is the reason why a group of cyclists have chosen to embark on the 2,500 kilometres long route from Skopje in North Macedonia to Varberg in Sweden and participate in the Cycle4Europe charity event.

“Ultimately, this is about creating more humane living conditions and preventing unnecessary suffering”, Sabina Grubbeson explains, founder of Loza Foundation and initiator of Cycle4Europe.

On 5 September, the cyclists will line up on the starting line in Skopje, North Macedonia, ready to tackle the 2,500 kilometres that will bring them to Varberg and the west coast of Sweden. The journey is a part of the charity event called Cycle4Europe, which is arranged by Loza Foundation and BEWiSynbra in aid of the most vulnerable people living in the four poorest countries of Europe according to the Human Development Index (HDI) of the UN; namely North Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldavia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

“We hope that this fundraiser will lead to fewer children and adults having to sleep rough. That they will be able to avoid criminality, be able to dress warmly and have shoes to wear. Many of us forget that there is extreme poverty just a cycle ride away from anywhere in Europe. You don’t have to travel to other continents to experience social and economic misery.”

Read more: Jonas Colting cycles through Europe’s poorest countries for vulnerable people’s rights

Sabina Grubbeson brings to light that the inhabitants of this region lack appropriate care, education and financial opportunities. And as disabled people are more often than not refused state aid (financial support from the government/authorities), families are forced to send their children off to institutions with inhumane living conditions.

“Life at an institution may be compared to human storage. Children and adults are not allowed out. They are not receiving any schooling and in some cases, individuals are locked up and left lying in their own faeces. Many have to endure horrendous living situations”, Sabina Grubbeson explains.

The Cycle4Europe project was realised when a Norwegian company called BEWiSynbra started to pay attention to Loza Foundations’ work to promote socially sustainable development. Main sponsor BEWiSynbra now funds the support vehicles, overheads as well as the accommodation and travel expenses for the cyclists.

“As BEWiSynbra is covering all the overheads, all other donations can be transferred in full to our operations and our ongoing work. I am extremely grateful for everything BEWiSynbra does.

For instance, 1,000 SEK equal a child’s yearly consumption of clothes, shoes and activities that counteract alienation.”

Read more: How you can help.

Loza Foundation is a charity foundation that works to improve the lives and current living standards of vulnerable people living in some of the poorest parts of Europe. It was established in 2017 and has been granted a so-called 90-account by the Swedish Fundraising Control.

Last winter, Loza Foundation donated clothes, shoes and warm winter jackets to the children at orphanages “25 May” and “11 October”. We are now keen on making their dream for a bike of their own come true too.

“It means a lot to the children, both from a sense of freedom as well as giving them confidence. A chance to feel just like anyone else despite the traumas many of them have had to go through”, says Sabina Grubbeson, founder of Loza Foundation.

In December 2018, Loza Foundation started their first aid project specifically aimed at children and this was at the “25 May” orphanage in Skopje, North Macedonia and we quickly went on to the next orphanage called “11 October” in the same area.

“The children were encouraged to write to us and tell us what they wished for. Many dreamt of having a bicycle of their own. For some, this was stated right at the top before anything else. One little boy wrote: ‘I have always dreamt of having my own bike, I really do need one. When I cycle, I feel free and happy and a bike would make me feel like I was just like all the other kids”, Sabina Grubbeson describes.

Last winter, Loza Foundation was in a position to give each child €100 to buy clothes and shoes with and they went shopping with staff members and volunteers. This autumn, we are finally making the big dream come true and donating a bicycle to each individual child. Every child, in total 50 of them between 5 and 18 years old, will be supplied with their very own bike, helmet and lock.

Read more: They will bike 2500 km for Loza Foundation and the most vulnerable people in Europe

“This donation has been made possible thanks to a fundraiser initiative that Martin Bekken and Jonas Olofsson at BEWiSynbra, from our charity event Cycle4Europe, have come up with and implemented. I cannot begin to describe how fantastic this is.”

The idea is that the children will receive their bicycles the day before Cycle4Europe will start in Skopje, North Macedonia, where hundreds of cyclists will set off on their route. The event will span 2,500 kilometres, all the way from Skopje to Sweden, and the purpose is to highlight Loza Foundations’ work for the most vulnerable people in the poorest countries of Europe.

“The children at these orphanages have had a horrible ordeal and they are sadly not included in the normal Macedonian society. They don’t have the natural support of parents and family and therefore need extra support and guidance”, says Sabina Grubbeson.

When Loza Foundation talked to staff members and counsellors at the orphanages, they described the need these children have of being able to channel their sense of betrayal and deceit that the neglect has caused and that positive elements in their lives are utterly important for the children to have faith in the future. Because of this, Loza Foundation will not stop at bikes. They will also strive to present the children with the opportunity to enjoy different sort of activities.

“We will get to tag along for a longer period, see how the children and support them in their own individual needs. When they turn 18, they are no longer allowed to stay at the orphanage and we obviously want them to be mentally strong and comfortable in their own skin by then so that they can find a place in the Macedonian society.”

Do you want to join the Loza Foundation family and help a child in North Macedonia by donating on a monthly basis?

Find out more here.

Through Loza Foundations aid project, the children at the children’s home ”25 May” in Skopje, Macedonia have now been given warm clothes and shoes for the winter. Founder Sabina Grubbeson was there when the 24 children got to go on the first shopping trip of their life.   

– To get to see the sheer joy in the eyes of the children, it was just such an amazing feeling!

Sabina Grubbeson travelled to Macedonia in January in order to be there when the children at the children’s home “25 May” in Skopje were given winter clothes. The 24 children aged between 11 and 18 have just moved out from the bigger institution, previously subjected to scandalous accusations, and into smaller group residencies.

“Today 5-6 children live in each house together with a staff member from the children’s homeand the children are sharing rooms two and two”, Sabine Grubbeson, founder of Loza Foundation tells us.

”25 May” is the Loza Foundation’s first aid project specifically directed at children. Through donations from various corporations and private individuals, the foundation has been able to carry out their first relief effort, namely to give the children warm clothes and shoes for the winter. Joined by ten volunteers, invited by Glorija Naumovska, project coordinator at Loza Foundation in Macedonia, the children were allowed to go on their first shopping trip and purchase their own clothes.

“These youngsters are used to being given hand-me-downs and second-hand clothes, so to just enter the shopping mall and being allowed to buy something for themselves was a big thing. They had been waiting for this day for months and they were full of anticipation.”

This proved to be a memorable day for both children and volunteers alike. Sabine describes how the children’s initial shyness inside the stores, soon changed into elation and lots of laughter.

“Young Osman, 11 years, and Leonardo, 12 years, were especially curious about how the credit card worked and wanted to know everything there was to know about how the money could come from the plastic card and into the till. Eventually, the employees in the shop let Leonardo help out as he was so inquisitive. Both the shop assistants and the volunteers laughed with delight and the atmosphere was simply wonderful, it makes me smile just thinking about it”, says Sabina.

When the shopping trip came to an end, each child had been given a whole bag full of various garments including winter shoes, winter jacket, trousers, sweaters, underwear and socks.

“During the day, the children, the manager of the children’s home and the volunteers discussed what they all thought each child needed the most. The children also learnt what a budget is, what a budget might include and they helped each other out to count how much they had been shopping for.

Apart from the clothes donation, Loza Foundation has also made an activity contribution for each child so that he/she will be able to develop his/her own interest or hobby. For instance one of the boys wanted to learn how to drive and get a driving license in order to increase his chances of finding a job when he finishes school. So, this means he has now been able to enrol at the local driving school.

“It is important to contribute wherever and with whatever we can to give these children the opportunity to land on their feet and enter the adult society in the best possible way.”

Apart from ”25 May”, Loza Foundation will help one more children’s home in Macedonia called “11 October”

“A few of the children have siblings there and we will carry out the projects in the same way as we have just done at “25 May”. We have already started talking to the children at “11 October” to find out what they wish for. Some of them say they would like to learn English, one child wished for a guitar and several were dreaming of having their own bike”, says Sabina.

Loza Foundation plans to follow these two children’s homes for a long period of time to ensure that the children receive the help they need and what will give great results.

“Our goal is to give these children a chance to succeed in the future, to gain self-confidence and have faith in the future. These are the sort of things that make all the difference!”

In January 2019, the Loza Foundation, together with reporters from Swedish newspaper Göteborgs-Posten, traveled to Special Institution Demir Kapija in Macedonia. In a series of articles they describe the situation at the institution, the vulnerability and the crying need for help.

To get to the article series, click here.