Igloos against homelessness
27 November 2024
Winter might not be everyone's cup of tea, but when you defrost in a hot shower and crawl under a blanket with a good book and some tea, you get through it just fine. Yet, this solution is out of the question for more than 1.2 million European people living on the streets. Depending on how severe the frosts are, hundreds of them freeze to death every year.
A couple from Czechia decided to lower this tragic figure. Inspired by a similar French project, in 2018, they started crafting "igloos for people experiencing homelessness." These simple capsules, just big enough that one person can comfortably fit in, are designed to accumulate the warmth produced by a human body.
"The first year we crafted the igloos in our home, we had to constantly jump over piles of material as our rooms were full of it," recalls Pavla Klečková, one of the founders of the initiative. "Then, a company in the regional city Zlín reached out to us and offered to take over the production of igloos with no profit."
Through cooperation with NGOs and cities, the initiative quickly spread all around Czechia and far beyond. This winter, the igloos will also provide shelter for homeless people in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Great Britain, as well as the US and Canada. All of these igloos are still produced in Zlín and then sent out to the world.
 | Eli Volencová Cooperation with NGOs is crucial as it is usually the social workers who spread the word to the people in need. In some cases, this help sparks a new hope in the homeless. According to Petra Klečková, the simple act of kindness and care motivated some to integrate back into society. |
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