Mobile saunas provided by Sauna-Aid have reached the Ukrainian battle lines

To help with its ongoing operations, the International Sauna Association has launched a worldwide fundraising effort.

The International Sauna Association (ISA) and other national organisations are fundraising for Sauna-Aid, a non-profit effort that will provide the therapeutic effects of sauna to the people of Ukraine and the refugees who have fled there.

To yet, Sauna-Aid has collected almost €20,000, but they need to raise another €15,000 to pay for the delivery of a container sauna given by Pixxla Sauna of Slovakia and the purchase of basic equipment.

The Sauna-Aid programme was established in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The founders of Sauna-Aid were moved to action after learning about the efforts of the Japanese Sauna Society, an ISA member, to provide a tent sauna to victims of the Fukushima tsunami and nuclear plant disaster. They quickly organised volunteers and formed relationships with bathhouses in Lithuania to offer bathing services to displaced people. The next step was the delivery of mobile saunas to provide for the needs of the remaining Ukrainian troops in the area; two of them have been placed on the shore of a lake in Kharkiv with the help of the city's administration.

“We have a very simple message for our efforts in Ukraine: There is no war in sauna! Sauna is a social event that promotes peace and a shared sense of humanity in a healing atmosphere”, said Risto Elomaa, President of International Sauna Association.

Mikkel Aaland, Sauna Aid co-founder, added:

“Sauna bathing means different things to different cultures. In Ukraine, as with much of eastern Europe, the sauna (aka banya or laznia) is not considered a luxury, instead, it’s an essential part of everyday life. It brings joy, healing and a sense of belonging. What other human activity combines the physical, social and spiritual under one roof?”

In 2023, the group hopes to raise €100,000 to finance its ongoing work in Ukraine and to establish a worldwide presence. According to Aaland, the goal of Sauna-Aid is to "take Sauna-Aid worldwide," delivering the therapeutic benefits of sauna to areas hit by natural or man-made disasters, as well as creating a fleet of saunas in regular shipping containers so they can be moved anywhere in the globe and set up in no time.

Already, Sauna-Aid is working with both domestic and international NGOs to bring more saunas into Ukrainian classrooms and churches. In order to speed up the rollout of Sauna-Aid wherever it is required in the globe, the organisation is also drafting guidelines and blueprints for home-grown tent sauna production. In addition, it plans to build and keep a database of volunteer bath attendants and collaborating bathhouses ready to assist Sauna-initiatives Aid's in the Ukraine and beyond.

The International Sauna Association, the world’s largest organisation of its kind, was established in 1958 with a mission to raise awareness about the health advantages of saunas, as well promote extensive use of its establishments worldwide.

 

Source: europeanspamagazine.com