Nicolas Lunabba

"We want to contribute to a more equal and just society"

- There is a great sense of community and solidarity in our organisation, and we are met with so much positivity. At one of our breakfasts, a woman told us that this was where she had started talking to her neighbour. They had lived next to each other for 15 years.

- Helamalmö is an organisation that works with issues related to social sustainability and justice. We work in so-called “vulnerable areas” in Malmö and have our largest location in Nydala. We wanted to create activities for kids in their free time and just started with kicking a ball around, but we soon discovered that it wasn’t enough. We wanted, and thought we could and should, take on even greater responsibilities. After we’d been in Nydala for a year, the need for security noticeably decreased compared to the other areas handled by the property management company. They themselves said that it was due to Helamalmö.

- Our work is based on the needs of the local community and people appreciate what we do. There’s financial vulnerability here, so we provide three meals a day. We’re not rescuers, just working arm-in-arm with already existing organisations. Much of what we do is something we wish would not have to be done.

- For example, there were many girls who wanted to get in touch with the health clinic but it was too far away and not many people wanted to go all the way into town. So we contacted the youth clinic and started a collaboration and now they have a department in our premises. It was a victory!

Helamalmö stands on its own two legs. Partly it’s practical work, but we also want to be a critical voice that helps sway public opinion. I hope that we can contribute to Sweden becoming a more equal and fair society.

- Now we want to find other places where we can learn more and where we can teach. We want to expand and work with human rights organisations in rural areas, in northern Sweden or in other countries. We can strengthen and learn from each other.