But this year, Operation Dagsværk is quite different from previous years. The pandemic has put an effective stop to the usual work opportunities.
That is why many young people have to work from home and for their parents, says campaign manager in Operation Dagsværk Marie Falck-Rasmussen.
– The day will undeniably be something different. We have been used to sending students out to employers they did not know in advance.
– But this year we have encouraged students to apply for jobs with their families and parents in order to complete the day in a safe way with regard to corona infection.
Operation Dagsværk is Denmark’s global student movement, which works to ensure that all young people in the world have access to education. This year it is done in collaboration with Amnesty International with a focus on Peru.
Here, sexual harassment and violence are commonplace in schools, Operation Dagsværk informs. Especially young girls and LGBT people are being pressured to provide sexual services to their teachers in exchange for better grades.
One of the Danish students who pulls on their work clothes on Wednesday is Johanne Rüter Würtzen, who is a high school student at Vibenhus Gymnasium in Copenhagen.
She believes that the day comes at a good time for the Danish young people in the middle of a corona crisis.
– At a time when you may feel that many of your opportunities are taken away from you, here in the corona era, Operation Dagsværk is a very good and concrete way to make a huge difference, says Würtzen.
According to Johanne Rüter Würtzen, the day provides an opportunity to make a difference on several fronts.
– You can make a concrete difference in someone’s life. Not just for your family, where you, for example, do the dishes or have a delicious dinner with three dishes.
– But you can actually also help with some relevant problems in Peru with this donation.
According to Amnesty International, 40 percent of Peruvian teens have felt harassed during the school year.
Source: The Nordic Page