Czech Republic joins European Days of Hope campaign

A campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi Berlin, dubbed Days of Hope recruits homeless people to present the weather on European television stations across Europe. The campaign, aimed to raise awareness of the growing number of homeless on the Old Continent, has proved successful in many European states. This winter the Czech Republic joined in, giving Czech TV viewers a close up look at life out on the streets in freezing cold temperatures. One of the organizations involved in the effort is the Czech Salvation Army. I asked Pavla Vopeláková of its Czech branch about the campaign and its impact.

Photo: Jan Langer / Czech Television

“This is the very first time that the Czech Republic has joined and what it means is that there are four homeless people, people who are sleeping on the street, sleeping rough, who are now presenting the weather forecast on Czech public television. So every weekend morning they say what the weather will be like and they are not just informing the public about the weather, but also about what it means for them because obviously it is very cold out now and for people who have to live out on the street it is even worse. Most of us just pass through the street on our way somewhere but for them that is the temperature that they have to live with.”

So the campaign is based on the shock-value of what the weather forecast means to people out in the street?

“Yes, and also they are able to share a little bit of their personal stories, because it is not just the weather forecast –there is more PR for them, they are appearing on TV shows and getting interviewed and it is good publicity because people are suddenly able to learn about homelessness from homeless people directly.”

And what has the response been like?

“I think that mostly the public is amazed that these homeless people are just normal people, people without a shelter over their heads but people who are smart, thoughtful and articulate – that they are a part of the general public.”

I understand that this campaign, which comes with the first sub-zero temperatures also involved people being invited to try sleeping rough out in the street?

Pavla Vopeláková, photo: Czech Television

“Yes, that is actually a separate Czech campaign that was launched last year. This year the campaign Sleep Out ran in 8 cities around the country and different organizations took part. And yes, people are being encouraged to try and sleep on the street to get a first-hand experience of what it is like. Of course, it involves a cultural program, information about homelessness, different groups participate – for example in Prague the Salvation Army was handing out hot soup and tea and coffee –which are usually served in the shelters – so the public was able to learn a little more about homelessness and what it means.”

How many people actually tried sleeping rough? It is very cold out these days.

“It is very cold and even though some people came prepared –with warm clothes and sleeping bags – only a few stayed out until 6 am. In Prague about 150 people took part in that event but only about 10 or 12 people braved the cold until the early morning hours.”

This campaign –the Days of Hope – is to raise the profile of increasing homelessness in Europe, which is also true of the Czech Republic, do you feel that Czechs are getting enough information about this – that the media are doing enough to spread the message?

“I think so. Especially when the weather gets cold we are approached quite frequently. I think that what is also excellent is that the media is interested in giving the homeless a face – saying who that person without a roof over their head is. This is important because for a long time the public tended to think that the people living on the street had no interest in changing their lives – that this is a lifestyle that they have chosen, but this is only the top of the iceberg you know, there are so many other homeless people – it is estimated that there are around 30,000 homeless people in the Czech Republic –and those people want to do something. They did not choose to live on the street, it is just the result of something that went wrong in their lives but they are ready to work hard to integrate back into society and we have to make sure that there is a support network available which will allow them to do so.”

Photo: Jan Langer / Czech Television

Temperatures are now dropping well below freezing point. What is the situation with country’s homeless at present?

“Most cities are preparing extra winter accommodation, for instance in Prague nearly 380 extra beds are being arranged for the winter. Some are already available and the capacity will be further increased in December. The Salvation Army is also increasing its capacity and our shelters are not only being used for the day but also for the night. We believe that in this society there is absolutely no need for anyone to sleep on the street and hopefully we will not experience what we did in years past – that people were dying on the streets.”

So are you saying that this will be enough – that there are night shelters available for all in need?

“It is difficult to say, but the situation is much, much better than it was in the past and counting all the extra beds and chairs we’ve provided the increased capacity should be sufficient to meet demand. On the other hand, the number of homeless people is still increasing. We do not have exact figures regarding their number. We know that roughly there are about 4,000 homeless people in Prague and the bed capacity in the winter months is about 1500, maximum 1600 beds, so obviously there are not enough beds for everyone and you have people sleeping rough, people in squats or people living in tents hoping that somehow they will survive.”

The government recently passed a national strategy for tackling homelessness – the very first the country has ever had – do you feel that the issue is finally getting the attention it deserves?

“I think it is getting the attention that it needs, at least on a paper, the Salvation Army helped prepare this national strategy and it is the result of two years of hard work. So the concept is good, it can really change the situation of homeless people but now the reality will show whether it is really working and whether the stated objectives and the proposals will be put into practice and show results. But “if” is very much the operative word in the coming days, weeks and months.”

Illustrative photo: Kristýna Maková

Campaigns such as this are to raise awareness of the problem and invite charity – are Czechs good donors – I understand they are generous but not regular donors?

“I think Czech society responds well to emergencies and crises. Obviously the homeless are not a popular group of people because they often cause trouble to the general public but we can see that public awareness and solidarity is increasing. Just a couple of weeks ago we had the very first national food collection for the poor which took place in 112 shopping malls across the country and there was an incredible response from the public. 66 tons of food were collected that will help us to prepare meals but also food parcels for those who are short of money.”

So you are happy with the situation right now?

“We can never be completely happy, but it is going in the right direction and we do hope that more people will start to realize that they can share what they have and that it is good for everyone.”