In line with the mission of the K2 Foundation, which is to support children whose futures are bleak or uncertain, K2 Sweden have chosen to support Maskrosbarn Malmö, a Swedish charity which works to improve the lives of children whose parents have an addiction, a mental health illness or violent tendencies.
Maskrosbarn was founded in 2005 by Therése Eriksson and Denise Madsen, two girls who met during high school and bonded over their experience of living with parents who had an addiction or a mental illness. They wanted to show children who were struggling with a similar living situation that it is possible to feel good, even when those you live with don’t protect and support you in the way that they should. What began as a conversation then developed into a school project; this led to speaking opportunities which in turn led to the founding of a charity that now has over 200 full- or part-time employees.
Maskrosbarn has two distinct work streams: support activities and advocacy work. The support activities are multiple and varied, ranging from support calls to weekend camps and coaching programmes. The advocacy work includes compiling reports based on the testimonies of some of the children who Maskrosbarn support, drafting referral responses to the government and so influencing relevant legislation, and facilitating dialogue between the government and civil society organisations through involvement with the Children’s Rights Delegation.
500,000 children in Sweden have a parent who has an addiction, a mental illness or violent tendencies. Through long-term support and access to its empathetic community, Maskrosbarn strives to improve the lives of as many of these children as possible, guided by their vision ‘All children have a right to their childhood.’
