The Association for Greenlandic Children
I think most people would agree, that cycling from Finland to Indonesia isn’t a very sensible thing to do. I have succeeded (and failed) in some fairly ambitious projects before, but I think it’s safe to say that this one trumps them all. It's a pretty self-indulgent idea aswell, so for the sake of purpose, and in an attempt to justify this entire trip, I’ve decided on taking the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for Foreningen Grønlandske Børn, in english, The Association for Greenlandic Children. For everyone’s sake, we’ll simply call them FGB from now on. So on a slightly more serious note, allow me to explain:
Starting from the late summer of 2016, I spent the best part of a year studying in Greenland, in a town called Sisimiut. I instantly fell in love with the place. The overwhelmingly beautiful scenery, combined with a rich culture and the easy going nature of the people, all made for a welcome change to the life I was used to in Denmark. But then it didn’t take long before I started dealing with sleepless nights, and before I knew it, I was struggling with full-blown insomnia and was diagnosed with depression. Though it was a tough decision, I decided on moving back home to my parents in Denmark, opting for a fresh start (of which this project is the result). From there on it was fairly straight forward. I had the opportunity to leave it all behind. The people native to Greenland simply do not have that choice. But the problems are far more complex and difficult than anything I have ever experienced on my own body. My year in Greenland has simply given me a slight insight to the extent of the problem, and how the actual location might play a crucial part. Fairly common issues related to growing up in Greenland include neglect, abuse and loneliness. Greenland is very isolated both culturally and geographically, making these sorts of issues very difficult to deal with. Problems, such as homesickness and loneliness, are also very significant for children residing outside of their home town. These problems can be crippling when focusing on education and general progress, meaning that a vast number of young people do not end up with the education and opportunities they dream of. The Greenlandic youth are just as competent and capable as the rest of the world, but they are being limited by major social problems unique to their birthplace in an otherwise beautiful country.
FGB is a non-governmental organization trying to fight this tendency. By doing their best to provide Greenlandic children (both in Greenland and Denmark) with a safe and secure childhood, they are preventing the development of further problems in adulthood. In any given year, FGB will be in direct contact with at least 500 greenlandic children, supporting them (among many other things) with mentors and social activities. For my danish-speaking readers, I recommend checking out their website to read detailed information on their work.
FGB and I have decided on raising funds specifically for their project Ilinniartut (meaning "the students"), which is a mentoring program aiding young people in making their way through education. It's a great cause - so support me by supporting FGB, either through donating, spreading the word or both!
I've set a fairly moderate goal to start out with. I'll change it once I get a better idea of what we're capable of here.