Disappointment

Today I am disappointed. Over the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of destruction going on among some youth in the community of Vårberg where I live. Last year around this time there were also problems in Vårberg but that was with adults on Friday and Saturday nights while going and coming from Pubs. Now the problems seem to be more with youth. Teenagers over the last couple of weeks have tried to burn down one youth center and have also broken windows at another one. Both of these youth centers had already closed to the night crowd because youths that were attending were to rowdy and not listening to those in charge.

Soon the newspapers are going to be writing again about how bad this area of Stockholm is. Last week there was also an attempted bank robbery in Skärholmen just one subway stop away. Does that mean that we are living in a terrible part of town? I disagree. Yes, I am disappointed that there has been an increase in problems here over the last couple of weeks. At the same time, Vårberg is my home! I live here and I want to be a part of a solution and not just a complainer about the problems. Last year at this time people were talking about how bad things were here but there didn’t seem to be any solutions in the news paper articles, there were just complaints.

I ask for solutions. A group of us started serving coffee between the two Vårberg pubs on Saturday night in order to be a part of the solution. By being there we hope to get to know people and to help be a calming force between 12 pm and 3am in the morning. It might not seem like a good answer but it is at least something. We have also tried to help with the youth situation in Vårberg by opening a youth café on Saturday nights when no other youth events are going on. The problem now is that we are not able to use the building because it is in repair after the fire.

The youth problem is not a large problem. The majority of youth in Vårberg are doing OK but there is a small group that causes problems for the rest. One of the main questions I keep on asking is where are the parents of the youth that are causing problems? Do they not know what is going on, or do they just not care anymore? But I don’t want to stop there. I believe there is a solution to the problems of Vårberg. And there are people here in Vårberg that want to be a solution to these problems. WE CARE ABOUT VÅRBERG! Come join us to be a solution to the problem instead of just complaining.