What is an Iglou
Stories
Mr. Vláďa
Warm in an Iglou after tragedy
Mr Vláďa used to live with his wife and one of his friends in a hut. At the end of 2018, he found that he had terminal cancer. On the top of that, at the beginning of 2019 doctors diagnosed his wife with cervical cancer and she died shortly afterwards. Vláďa was sad and depressed. Trying to be helpful, he invited his friend and his girlfriend to move in with him into his hut. In the end, they made him move out. Vláďa began to live a under a bridge, which was miserable. After the New Year he contacted Salvation Army´s street workers and asked If he could get an Iglou. We cannot begin to describe how moved we were by Vláďa´s story, but we are glad that it will be our Iglou that keeps him warm!
Mr. Libor
Trust gained, a life changed
Mr. Libor is a loner who has lived in the woods for 8 years and loves dogs. He does not stay in shelters because he does not like sleeping between people and because his dogs cannot stay with him. He worked for more than 13 years in the coal mines but was given a disability pension due to hearing loss. After 10 years of retirement the government decided that his problems were not serious enough to qualify him for a disability, and cut off his pension. Last winter Mr. Libor and his dogs slept warm in an Iglou. Thanks to that, the trust between Mr. Libor and the outreach workers has deepened. Before giving him his Iglou their relationship had been very fragile. With help from the outreach workers, Mr Libor registered at the Labor Office and thus qualified for social benefits. It has been difficult for him to find a home that will take him with his three dogs, but a least in the meantime he has the Iglou!
Mr. Emil
A life changed
Mr. Emil lived on the street for 26 years. He refused charitable help for the last 10 years until he was offered an Iglou last autumn. Last winter, he slept comfortably in his Iglou until March when someone damaged it. Thanks to his Iglou, Mr. Emil got used to warm, dry nights in a soft bed, and felt that people were no longer indifferent to him. He realized he no longer wanted to sleep outside and wanted to resolve his situation, so he began to visit the shelter. The shelter staff connected him to the Salvation Army, who helped him get back his identity card and apply for benefits and social housing. Before offering him an Iglou, outreach workers had never been able to get this far with Mr. Emil, so we are glad that the Iglou could help win his trust.
Mrs Anděla
Out of options
Mrs. Anděla found herself on the street after her partner abused her. She lived with her family for a while, but that did not last long. She did not have money to pay for a place of her own. The only things she had were donated items, so she found a place to live in an abandoned forest. As Anděla did not have a calendar or a clock, she missed an appointment with the Labor Office, so she was taken off the housing list. Her chances of getting a home had gone to zero. Anděla tried to find a job, but because of her age she was passed over by potential employers. Winter was approaching, and outreach workers at the local Salvation Army searched for a way to help her. Although they could not find her a place to stay inside, they could provide her with an Iglou as a "temporary shelter" that kept her warm during the winter. In March, they registered her again at the employment office and applied for benefits. They continue to search for adequate housing for her.
Mrs Jitka
Sleeps warmly with 3 dogs
Mrs Jitka is a 53 year old woman who sleeps rough with her 3 dogs. Dogs are not accepted in night shelters and she doesn't want to be separated from them. Until recently, she survived under a tent at a steam line, but she was forced to move on. We heard about her story in the media, and decided to help her. Thanks to some donations on darujme.cz/projekt/1201425?locale=en, we were able to give her an Iglou, which now keeps her warm at night instead of the steam line.
Mr. Petr
Sleeps inside thanks to Iglou
Mr Petr is always smiling, despite having lived outside for the last 20 years. At 60 years of age, he has had a challenging life. After divorcing, he went back to Slovakia where he discovered that his brother had registered him as dead, and he had lost everything. He came back to the Czech Republic, lived in a hut and worked. After a hospitalization for a heart problem he returned to find his hut was occupied by somebody else. Mr Petr relocated behind a church where he slept. He tried to sleep in night shelters but stopped going because he was robbed there. During freezing nights when the hostels were full he travelled by train to be inside and have a short rest. A few weeks ago, a woman contacted us and asked for an Iglou for him. As always, we directed her to the local charities and they found him a room in social housing that he accepted... much better than sleeping in an Iglou. We are very pleased to be able to share Mr Petr's story with you at a time when we know he sleeps safe and warm. In the end, he never slept in an Iglou, but even so, the Iglou helped him!
Láďa a Monika
Rough sleepers test 2 Iglous
At the age of 44, Láďa has already lived on the streets for 28 years (since he was 16 years old). He suffers from schizophrenia, which makes it impossible for him to hold down a regular job. He does not drink or smoke. All the money he gets from his disability pension goes to pay for his medications. To supplement his pension he collects paper and metal and resells it, but this is not enough to pay for a place to live. He spends the freezing nights in an old tent with holes. Last winter, with his girlfriend Monika, he tested 2 iglous.
News
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Feb, 11
Feedback and field visit
Feedback and field visit of Iglous – the emergency shelter for homeless people
Continue Reading Feedback and field visitJan, 30
Iglou is developing in Czechia
Already 46 iglous delivered all over the country and warming those who need it the most.
Continue Reading Iglou is developing in Czechia -
Nov, 28
First Iglou in the field
Our first Iglou is warming a person who really needs it!
Continue Reading First Iglou in the fieldNov, 10
Follow Iglou on Facebook !
Iglou is on Facebook at Iglou CZ !
Follow us there to have more frequent informations and invite your friends to follow.
Continue Reading Follow Iglou on Facebook ! -
Oct, 25
Iglou at Mash-Up !
We presented the Iglou at Mash-Up ! Big thanks to Impact Hub Ostrava for this opportunity and to Evzen for his support !
Look at the video 🙂
Continue Reading Iglou at Mash-Up !Oct, 24
Night outside – Noc venku
Noc venku is an action which is aimed to share with the public about life of homeless as well as giving a chance to all to experience the sleeping conditions in winter outside.
Continue Reading Night outside – Noc venku -
Oct, 21
First trial of Iglou
Over the weekend, we have tried the Iglou ourselves. We took with us 2 iglous to the Beskydy mountains. See more tests details below.
Continue Reading First trial of IglouOct, 15
Iglous and winter 2018-19
Our plan for this winter is ready!
See the details below.
Continue Reading Iglous and winter 2018-19 -
Aug, 30
Choosen to be part of Impact First acceleration program !
Today, we have been choosen with 8 other projects (out of 26 applicants) to be part of the acceleration program Impact First. A 3 months program organized by Impact Hub and sponsorized by Ceska Sporitelna. That will help us to develop our project, learn more about the non-profit organisations world and organise our minds. Looking […]
Continue Reading Choosen to be part of Impact First acceleration program !Aug, 10
Visit of Geoffroy de Reynal
Geoffroy de Reynal, the french inventor of the Iglou for homeless people, visited us in Ostrava!
Continue Reading Visit of Geoffroy de Reynal
Team
Pavla Klečková
project founder
pavla@iglou.cz
pavla@iglou.cz
Manu Chilaud
project founder
manu@iglou.cz
manu@iglou.cz
