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Every year, the IKEA Foundation donates €1 for every soft toy sold in participating IKEA stores in November and December. The donation goes to Save the Children and UNICEF, and is spent on children’s educational projects.
New toys to help more children
This year, a new collection of toys designed by kids will help even more children get the quality education they deserve. IKEA Family invited customers’ children to design their dream soft toy. After receiving thousands of wonderful contributions, ten winners were chosen. The winning soft toys in the competition became patterns for the new collection named SAGOSKATT.
Thanks to the dedicated customers and co-workers who got involved in our 2014 campaign, we are able to donate a fantastic € 10.1 million!
Since 2003, the Soft Toys for Education campaign has:
raised nearly €77 million
supported 99 projects in 46 countries
reached more than 11 million children living in poverty, receive a better education
The projects improve education in Asia, Africa, and Central and Europe. With the funding, our partners help schools become more child-friendly with well-trained teachers for all children, girls and boys, including those from ethnic minorities and those with special needs.
Thanks to the campaign, children such as Anna, Ye Win and ten-year-old Samoun in Cambodia are able to go to better schools. Samoun’s teacher used to beat her with a stick whenever she was late to class. But Save the Children has used funding from the Soft Toys for Education campaign to educate Samoun’s teacher—and over 1,300 others in Cambodia—in child-friendly teaching techniques. Corporal punishment has been dramatically reduced from 77% in 2012 to only 19% in 2015. Read more of Samoun’s story.
Want to see how the money makes a difference? Check out our IWitness blog, where IKEA co-workers post their photos and stories when they visit Soft Toys projects. The stories below are from children who benefited from the campaign and the great work our partners do to help children receive the education they deserve.