Together we make a difference!
The foundation Make a Difference in Media
Since 2008, we have been working to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families in Ghana!
We work with fundraising and donations to improve the lives of the most vulnerable directly in Ghana.
Make a Difference is a politically and religiously independent foundation. Together with a board from the business community, we carry out nonprofit work aimed at creating long-term improvements in the living conditions of children and families in need.
Over the years, we have established a collaboration with local social services and help care for orphaned and abandoned children. By enabling a safe upbringing for more children and providing support to socially vulnerable families, we can prevent more children from being abandoned.
Family center in Bobikuma
In the spring of 2014, the foundation decided to start a new project from the ground up.
After extensive research, we chose the village of Bobikuma and purchased land there.
This new initiative will serve as a support and education center for vulnerable families.
Sustainability is our goal — something we strive for both in the building process and in the planned activities.
Farming
On our land in Bobikuma, we grow, among other things, maize, chili, cassava, and plantains. The harvest is distributed to families in need, and the daily work is carried out by paid workers who, in turn, can support their own families. In the long term, the farm will contribute to the self-sufficiency of the family center and be part of its operations. Sustainable farming is important to us.
Donations
Thanks to donations from individuals and companies, we have been able to help families in need in Bobikuma.
We have provided:
Solar lamps that allow families without access to electricity to light up their homes; the lamps can also be used as flashlights outdoors.
Chickens and goats that support families’ livelihoods by providing an important source of protein and can be sold to strengthen the family’s income.
School kits including uniforms, shoes, and textbooks, which are essential for children to attend school in Ghana.
Nyamekye Orphanage in Akwakwaa
Over the years, we have worked to improve the living conditions for the children at the orphanage in the village of Akwakwaa.
Among our efforts, we have run a school for 175 students, drilled a water well, built toilets, and provided the orphanage with staff, food, medicine, and other necessities - all to give the children a safe and loving upbringing.
Over time, we have shifted our focus toward supporting families and investing in education, which we see as a key factor for creating lasting change.
Education
We believe that education is the key to long-term and sustainable improvement in families’ living conditions.
The foundation supports students who attend boarding school, meaning they live at the school and receive full care. During school breaks, they return either to the orphanage or to their families.
At the family center, we will also offer preschool for the children in the village of Bobikuma — opening in the near future.
Container
In 2011, Elina and Mikaela organized the shipment of a container filled with essential supplies to the orphanage in Akwakwaa.
Watch the video below:
Our projects
The foundation's journey through the years and media reports
TAUSA of the Year 2025
Founder Elina Bergström won this year’s TAUS Award 2025.
"Elina Bergström is a courageous entrepreneur and a nonprofit powerhouse who, with great drive and an even bigger heart, truly makes things happen. She wants to make a real difference, and her commitment stretches from Hede and Vemdalen all the way to West Africa."
Charity concert in Sveg and Funäsdalen 2024
Interview with P4 Jämtland:
"This weekend, there will be Ghana-themed evenings in both Sveg and Funäsdalen to raise even more funds for the Make a Difference Foundation.
Elina explains that the project has received great support over the years from the local communities in Hede and Sveg."*
Swedish heroes
2016
Elina and Mikaela were once again nominated for the Swedish Heroes award in 2016, a gala where the Swedish people honor individuals who have performed heroic deeds.
"Many poor families in Ghana cannot afford to take care of their children and see no other option than to leave them at orphanages. Elina and Mikaela want to change that. In 2014, they launched a new project – they purchased one hectare of land in the village of Bobikuma. Here, they have drilled a water well and started farming, and this is where they plan to build a family center."
Charity auction 2015
In 2015, Elina and Mikaela organized a charity auction to benefit the foundation.
"When the Make a Difference Foundation held a charity auction last Saturday, Folkets Hus in Sveg was filled with various items that were so appealing to the more than 200 visitors that a total of 87,000 SEK was raised. Together with entrance fees and raffle sales, 102,875 SEK now goes directly to the family center that the foundation is building in Ghana."
Swedish heroes
2009
Elina and Mikaela were nominated for the Swedish Heroes award in 2009, a gala where the Swedish people honor individuals who have performed heroic deeds.
"Seventy children in Ghana had already chosen their Swedish hero. But in the end, there had to be two," said Mikaela Lindström, 20, and Elina Bergström, 19, from Sveg.