Where student life meets sustainability and social impact
International students Jacob Lehmann, Lea Poewe and Elias Foppa run Rackis for Barn to make student life more sustainable and accessible – while supporting charities that help children. Photo: Sara Gredemark
When students leave Uppsala, many items no longer fit in their suitcases. At the same time, new students arrive who are in need of basic household essentials. At the intersection of these two realities, Rackis for Barn emerged – a student‑driven, non‑profit initiative that combines the circular economy with charitable giving to support children.
The idea was born when Jacob Lehmann arrived in Uppsala from Germany as an international student. He quickly realised how costly and complicated it could be to furnish a student room. A few months later, he witnessed the opposite situation: international students preparing to return home and trying to part with perfectly functional items they could not bring with them.
“There was a very clear gap. The same things new students need are the things departing students are trying to get rid of,” says Jacob Lehmann, a master’s student in pharmaceutical modelling at Uppsala University.
From everyday observation to social innovation
Jacob Lehmann first began collecting and redistributing items in his own student housing area. The effort has since evolved into a more organised initiative that he now runs together with fellow students Lea Poewe and Elias Foppa, supported by a team of dedicated volunteers.
Today, the initiative is in its third semester. It has now been registered as a non-profit association under the name Rackis for Barn – a reference both to Rackarberget, the student housing area where the project first took shape, and to its charitable focus on children (barn in Swedish).
The concept is simple: students donate used household items, which are then sold at low prices to newly arrived students. Items range from bedding and kitchen supplies to furniture and bicycles.
For Elias Foppa, who studies physics at the undergraduate level, discovering Rackis for Barn became a shortcut to obtaining the items he needed while participating in a meaningful project and meeting new friends.
“I met Jacob at Rackis for Barn’s stand during the university’s welcome fair and decided the same day that I wanted to get involved,” he says.
Low threshold and charity motivate donors and buyers
All collection and sales activities take place in a basement space in Rackarberget. According to the team, proximity is key.
“If it’s easier for students to come to us than to go to the recycling room, many prefer to leave their things here instead,” says Lea Poewe, a master’s student in global health.
To make donating even easier, Rackis for Barn has also started collecting items from students in Flogsta, which are then transported to Rackarberget.
Lea Poewe emphasises that many students are eager to contribute when they know the proceeds go to a meaningful cause – supporting children in need.
All surplus from sales is donated to Barncancerfonden Mellansverige and RBU Uppsala, organisations that support children with cancer and children with disabilities. According to the team, this combination of circular reuse and social benefit is at the heart of the concept.
Entrepreneurship as a learning process
Running Rackis for Barn has been an exercise in learning by doing. Balancing studies with voluntary work can be demanding, but also rewarding.
“We’ve learned a lot beyond what our programmes cover – bookkeeping, managing volunteers, communication and teamwork,” says Elias Foppa.
The students also highlight the importance of seeking advice and sharing their idea early. Guidance from UU Innovation played a crucial role in structuring their work and opening doors.
“UU Innovation helped us write grant applications, provided financial and legal advice, and connected us through networks and media attention. We also received an award for our work,” says Jacob Lehmann.
More student housing areas in Uppsala
Rackis for Barn hopes to establish the initiative in more student housing areas in Uppsala, and the concept is already inspiring others.
“An exchange student who volunteered with us liked the idea so much that we are now in dialogue with her university in Germany. We also have an ongoing conversation with students in Lund,” Jacob explains.
Although it is still unclear how a potential expansion might be organised, the team is determined to safeguard the initiative’s status as a non‑profit foundation and local anchoring – no matter where in the world Rackis for Barn might go next.
Sara Gredemark
UU Innovation
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