Mara Kroth and Johannes Heuschkel, two students from the University of Luxembourg, have launched a campaign to foster solidarity and intergenerational support during the global Covid-19 crisis. The campaign #ZesummenStattAleng/ #togetherandnotalone calls for a show of solidarity and support for people who belong to the risk group.
Mara and Johannes, founders of the start-up GoldenMe, have designed multilingual templates in Luxembourgish, German, French, English and Portuguese for volunteers who want to offer their help. The templates are available on Facebook or Dropbox. These may be printed and filled out to support people who are part of the risk group: anyone aged 60+, people with a weakened immune system or anyone unable to leave their home.
This is how it works: download a template, print it out, fill in your contact information and hang it in the staircase of your apartment complex or throw it in the mailbox of elderly neighbours. “It is best to help in the neighbourhood,” says student Mara Kroth. Volunteers can offer to go grocery shopping or run other errands.
In addition, they have created the Facebook group Quarantine Support Luxembourg by GoldenMe. “We are in contact with the Service Senior in Esch/Alzette, called ‘Escher Bibbs’. They tell us where and what kind of help is needed and if possible helpers and help-seekers can be matched,” says Mara Kroth.
Mara and Johannes understand GoldenMe as a community with the goal of fighting or preventing loneliness in advanced age. In times of quarantine, caution and social distancing, loneliness and isolation go beyond the ordinary. In view of the current situation, community, solidarity and mutual support between the generations become all the more important.
“While we do not choose to live through crises like these, we can choose how to live them. Let us do it with humanity and courage. Let us all think of how each of us can help society, while respecting as much as possible the request to stay at home,” says Stéphane Pallage, rector of the University of Luxembourg.
If you are interested in offering your services, visit the GoldenMe Facebook page.
Please note: GoldenMe stresses the importance of showing solidarity while respecting national rules of conduct.
About GoldenMe
Mara Kroth and Johannes Heuschkel study at the University of Luxembourg and have founded the start-up “GoldenMe” in 2018. They understand themselves as a community 50+ with the goal of fighting or preventing loneliness in advanced age. The platform helps to find interesting events, meet new people and to get active in Luxembourg. The idea for the start-up emerged out of the Ideation Camp, a 3-day entrepreneurship workshop organised by the University of Luxembourg Incubator.