Hei everybody, this is Eva from Austria and I am currently working in a workshop for mentally disabled people in a little village called Vihti. In this blog I’d like to share my experiences as a volunteer and give you an insight about the Finnish culture and life in northern Europe.
Eva’s blog is from the season 2018–19. See the blogs of other volunteers here.
It was 9th of May 2018. I was traveling to Finland for my EVS volunteering period with some excitement and nervousness. I had never visited Europe before, so I was unaware of the weather and cultural differences. I understood that I would be alone in a different kind of a country with different kinds of people and I felt little bit scared.
When I arrived, I got as a host family a woman who was living alone. In the beginning, I did not dare to go alone outside from house, but my host mother supported me: she went with me, which made me feel safer. Eventually I dared to go also alone and gained courage to walk with confidence without worrying about anything and to use different means of transportation. After two weeks in Finland, I already felt like I had gained self-confidence.
In the beginning, I did not dare to go alone outside from house, but my host mother supported me: she went with me, which made me feel safer.
I volunteer in an arts&crafts workshop for adults with learning disabilities. I support the participants of the workshop in making textiles and art crafts. I like my voluntary work place. The people there have helped me to discover new things. As my profession is nurse, I had experience in working with people with disabilities, but I was surprised how creative they can be. The participants of the workshop make many different kinds of and beautiful art works, and every time I am learning to do this with them I feel comfortable. Working with them makes me feel joy.
It is my first experience volunteering in a different country and for its weather, and me, Finland and its languages, people and food have felt very different to me. For instance, in India, food is spicy and here in Finland it is not. However, every day I have tried to eat some Finnish food and I have learned to like it – even though my favorite food here is falafels. I have always been ready to try new things even they would sometimes turn out to be very wrong for me. This has been inspiring for me. For example, when I first went out with my host mother and tried to eat Finnish food, it was looking tasty but when I tried it, the taste was not good for me. But now the food has become very tasty for me. I mostly like different types of vegetarian Finnish food because I am a vegetarian.
The Finnish language has been a big challenge for me. In the beginning, it was so difficult to understand it or to say something in Finnish, but my host family, friend, and people from my voluntary work place have taught me daily words. That is how I have learned to speak a little bit Finnish. It is always very good to learn a new language, and for me Finnish sounds very beautiful. Gradually I have discovered that I can speak in Finnish with the people. It made me happy to gain more courage to communicate at my workplace and host family.
It is always very good to learn a new language, and for me Finnish sounds very beautiful. Gradually I have discovered that I can speak in Finnish with the people. It made me happy to gain more courage to communicate at my workplace and host family.
I think volunteering in Finland has been a great experience. I am so happy to have had a chance to live here. I will never forget these sweet memories and nice people. The people I have met have always been very kind and have always helped me whenever I have needed help. That is why I respect and love Finland and the people who live here.
Thanks.
Kirandeep Kauer
Kirandeep did a European Voluntary Service volunteering period in Luovilla workshop of the association Lyhty in Helsinki as a part of an Erasmus+ Key Action 2 project “Skills and Competences for a Global World”. The project aims to strengthen the non-formal and intercultural learning impacts on the volunteers and to investigate these impacts in terms of the skills and competences they gain.
My name is Vilma Martínez. I am from the department of Intibucá, Honduras. My stay in Finland as a volunteer is wonderful. I volunteer in Myllylähde, a village community of adults with special needs. My work consists mostly of supporting the villagers, but also performing tasks in several other areas, such as biodynamic agriculture, in which together with the villagers I harvest berries, fruits and vegetables that we have sowed. We clean, sort and pack them for storage. Berries, fruits and vegetables such as cranberries, strawberries, plums, apples, potatoes, onions, beetroots, carrots and green beans.
In the weavers’ workshop of the community, I learnt to make table runners, tablecloths with felt balls and to create flowers out of leaves. I also participated here in activities such as the choir, eurhythmy, painting and Finnish courses.
Myllylähde gives people with special needs an opportunity to participate effectively in the life of the community by letting them develop their abilities and skills by producing, sharing and living together in a fraternal community. Myllylähde has given me a chance to develop my abilities to support people with special needs. I think that volunteering here requires and has offed me a chance to develop further, teamwork skills as well as skills to learn, help, teach and lead group work. I have also developed further my organisational skills as well as different ways of working that help to improve the quality of the work.
I have travelled to and discovered another country with a totally different language. I have participated in two trainings in which I have lived together with volunteers from different countries and shared experiences with them. International volunteering with learning a new language and meeting people from different cultural backgrounds has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge, which in the future might help me in finding an enjoyable job.
“As a volunteer, I have realized that helping others is actually helping oneself. It has allowed me to see my life in a new way.”
Volunteering here makes me grow day by day as a human and professionally as well. It is my ambition to keep expanding my knowledge by travelling and discovering other cultures, and to find an inspiring job where I can use my abilities. It is my aspiration to help my family and continue volunteering to make societies better.
As a volunteer, I have realized that helping others is actually helping oneself. It has allowed me to see my life in a new way. What is evident in many ways is a distinct before and after period in voluntary service because voluntary work is full of new learning experiences, which starts the moment you decide to place yourself at the service of others.
Vilma Martínez
Vilma did a European Voluntary Service volunteering period in Myllylähde Community in Hämeenkoski is a part of an Erasmus+ Key Action 2 project “Skills and Competences for a Global World”. The project aims to strengthen the non-formal and intercultural learning impacts on the volunteers and to investigate these impacts in terms of the skills and competences they gain.
On the 25th of August a group of 115 eager and awaiting people gathered on the idyllic island of Mustasaari, in front of Helsinki. Both former and current Maailmanvaihto people from volunteers to the office personnel came together to celebrate the 60-year-old journey of their association. The day was filled with laughter, meeting of old friends and making new ones.
I had the honour to be part of the group organising the event. The preparation process symbolized everything that inspires me in Maailmanvaihto so much. I have been involved in Maailmanvaihto since 2014. During these years, I have had the opportunity to grow as a human being many times more than initially expected. The Maailmanvaihto community is a perfect combination of teamwork and trust in my own, independent decisions. In the celebration preparations, I had the freedom to carry out my own ideas from choosing balloons to sparkling wine brands. On the other hand, gluing the program cards, finding people for the speeches and overcoming the last-minute panic would have been impossible without my wonderful team.
Even with the high expectations I had, the celebration surprised me positively. The warmth, joy and feeling of togetherness experienced in the party, reminded me of the time when I sat in a training camp with two dozens of other volunteers, all soon to leave for the world. Now, a few years later, I have learned to better recognize that feeling. It is the feeling of belonging. At the anniversary party, the same feeling was the force that united people with decades of time difference in their active years, as one big Maailmanvaihto community. This feeling of belonging organised the party. And the same feeling created the magazine that you are reading just now.
No matter if you are an active Maailmanvaihto person, an alumni or an occasional actor, I believe that you can recognise this feeling too. And if you are not a Maailmanvaihto actor yet, you are most warmly welcome to join us. From the pages of this magazine, you may get a little glimpse of what the belonging is all about, now on our 60th anniversary year.
Anna Lemström
Member of the Board, Anniversary Celebration matters
2 Pääkirjoitus / editorial
6 Kutsu syyskokoukseen
7 Ajankohtaiset uutiset
10 Tule mukaan toimintaan
11 Terveisiä Costa Ricasta: Ensifiiliksiä ja salsaa
12 Intercultural learning in after-school activities
14 Volunteering souvenirs
16 Terveisiä maailmalta! Greetings from abroad!
18 Kohdemaahan ja sen kulttuuriin kannattaa tutustua ennalta – viisaasti
20 Uusia taitoja taidekäsityön äärellä
35 Tapahtumakalenteri
TEEMA
22 Vaihtokokemus kantaa vuosien päähän
28 Vapaaehtoinen voi rikkoa stereotypioita omalla olemisellaan
32 Valmennuksista viisautta, vastuullisuutta ja verkostoja
In this new series we get familiar with volunteering possibilities of different ICYE voluntary workplaces all around the world.
This time the staff from Centro Social Marista (CESMAR) tell about their activities and tasks for volunteers. CESMAR is a Brasilian organisation based in Porto Alegre that coordinates projects with ICYE Brasil.
Could you tell us something about the projects you have in CESMAR?
We mainly work in the field of social assistance. We have two different projects, which assist children and adolescents from 6 to 14 years of age, who study in the partner schools. In the inverse shift opposite to the school hours, the children participate in artistic, cultural, sports and learning workshops. Activities vary a lot and can include for example theatre, environmental education, computer lessons or dance. The projects are partly supported by the municipality of Porto Alegre.
How many volunteers do you receive per year and from where? What tasks do they have?
CESMAR currently receives about four foreign volunteers and 15 Brazilian volunteers per year. Volunteers from many different countries have already participated at CESMAR; they have come from Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, United States, Mexico, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Romania and Italy. Volunteers accompany the children and adolescents in cultural and sports workshops. They learn the Portuguese language and exchange knowledge and their culture with the pupils and the educators.
What has the cooperation given to your working community?
The work carried out by the volunteers is extremely important in the lives of our children and adolescents, as they encounter new cultures, new languages and learn to live with different people. The pupils are more willing and interested in learning new languages and to understand and talk to volunteers. We hope that many people feel motivated to volunteer and can make their experience at CESMAR. We would also like, that the cooperation and actions developed can continue and thus expand the understanding of volunteering as a space for the construction of a culture of solidarity.
Text: Kaisa Rahko, photos: CESMAR
The article has been published in the magazine MaailmanVaihtoa 2/2018 -lehdessä.
The speech of EVS volunteer Tim Dielties at the 60th anniversary year celebration of Maailmanvaihto.
I came here in 2000. Back then, I was a child of the 1970’s from Belgium. As an 18-year-old from high school, you were supposed to choose the university or degree and stick with it for the rest of your life. That was the mentality in 2000 in Belgium, sort of. I think it was a bit different already here in Finland but maybe Belgium was a bit more old-fashioned: you choose a degree and you go from high school to the university without a välivuosi [gap year], without taking a bit of time off.
So, here I was an 18-year-old, a bit stuck I suppose, because there are a lot of questions for a teenager, choosing something that you are going to do for the next fifty years. I did what I was supposed to do: I went to study car mechanics for three years and with that degree, I worked for half a year and realized it was not for me. Then I heard about ICYE and in more particular about EVS, European Voluntary Service.
“I made them clear that for me it is Finland. I did not give them other choices – or I think I gave them Sweden, because if I would go to Sweden, I could take a boat to Finland.”
I think we were supposed to give three options for countries you wanted to go to, but I was bit of a stickler: I had visited Finland two times before and I wanted to come back, but not as a tourist. So, I made them clear that for me it is Finland. I did not give them other choices – or I think I gave them Sweden, because if I would go to Sweden, I could take a boat to Finland. But anyway, it was Finland or nothing for me. I got what I wanted because nobody wanted to go North, everybody wanted to go South.
I ended up doing a totally different thing from car mechanics: I ended up in the social field working in the kindergarten as an assistant. I had wanted to live in a small village far away from the city – I ended up in Sipoo. It is not too far away from the city in the standards of Finland – 30 kilometers away, which is in Belgium standards a lot.
I ended up in a very nice host family. I think I was a bit of a naïve youngster, maybe I should have appreciated them more. I really enjoyed the nursery I was at.
One anecdote that I have is related to the Christmas: For decades, in my family we started on 24 December at six with a dinner and kept on eating and eating until it was midnight and party time. So, here I am in Finland with my first host family and we start the dinner on the 24th of December. At nine or ten o’clock I feel there is time for a little siesta because there will be another two or three hours to go, so I go upstairs for a little nap. After fifteen minutes I come back downstairs and all the lights are off, everybody has gone to sleep.
“You know how it goes. That this EVS and ICYE in general are a bit like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.”
Eventually I went to another host family and finally to Jussi [who was present at Maailmanvaihto’s 60th anniversary year celebration] who sort of made me to have this speech – so I think we are even now. You were my favorite host family.
Then I decided to stay. I had been here on holiday before and now I wanted to make a bit more contribution. I went to study in the social field and I, very easily actually, found a job in the same field as I was qualified to work a kindergarten teacher. After more than ten years in English, I have now enjoyed for two or three years Helsinki city in Finnish. And I am still here.
I feel a bit like I am preaching for the converted. You know how it goes. That this EVS and ICYE in general are a bit like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. For me who was stuck in this car mechanic business, it was an easy way out. When I was looking for new directions for the future, I found this great opportunity.
So, I want to thank everybody involved in EVS and ICYE, it has been a lifeline. Thank you.
In Maailmanvaihto’s 60th year anniversary celebration Tim (on the right) met with Jussi, his host family member in 2000.
Maailmanvaihto’s 60th anniversary year celebration was held on 25th of August, 2018, in Mustasaari island in Helsinki. 115 participants of Maailmanvaihto’s activities along the years participated in the event! Here are a few photos from the celebration.
Volunteering in Finland started for me just after I finished school in Germany. When I was still in school, I started to think about what I wanted to do next. I always liked traveling and I wanted to try something else before continuing to study or starting to work. Furthermore, I lived with my parents and a year abroad would gain me some independence.
I started to search on the Internet for different possibilities of “work and travel“ until I found information about volunteering. That sounded really interesting and I spoke with someone who already volunteered for one year with the German IJFD program (Internationalen Jugendfreiwilligendienst / International Youth Voluntary Service) in Iceland. The program matched with what I wanted to do and Finland was one of the countries I chose because I am a big fan of outdoor activities and nature.
“My application was accepted and I got a project in Finland: I would be working in a primary school in a small Finnish town called Alavus and living with two different host families over the next 12 months.”
My application was accepted and I got a project in Finland: I would be working in a primary school in a small Finnish town called Alavus and living with two different host families over the next 12 months. At the primary school, my main task was to help in the English lessons – e.g. to support the children in their exercises and make photocopies etc. for the teachers.
Besides this, I had the possibility to do school clubs. I started at two sport clubs and a Minecraft club, which were first established by former volunteers. Another possibility was to have small English lessons on my own. In these lessons, with usually 3–5 children, we normally repeated the grammar from the lesson, played some English games or learned the vocabulary.
“I realized that the stereotype of Finnish people being very quiet and not open to foreigners was not true.”
During my voluntary work year I had two host families which both included me in their family activities and life. They took me on vacation in Lapland three times and I celebrated birthdays, Christmas etc. with them. At the same time, I had my own room and lots of personal space if I wanted to. I realized that the stereotype of Finnish people being very quiet and not open to foreigners was not true. Many people were were really interested and wanted to talk to me a lot.
I had many challenging situations during my time in Finland. When I arrived in Alavus, I knew nobody and I did not have any friends at first. Luckily, I had a good connection with my host family and I could do things with them in my free time. In general, it was hard for me at first to be the “new one” everywhere, but after the first two months I met new people and found some hobbies. I obviously had rewarding situations as well: I was really happy, for example, to see that the children with whom I had some extra lessons actually improved in English and had better grades at the end of the year.
Living in a different country for a year, I learned many things and gained a new perspective on some topics. Before I went to Finland, I had never been away from my home for more than a few weeks, so I gained more independence and self-esteem. Moreover, I learned so much about Finland and experienced the Finnish way of living. At my project, I saw what it is like to be a teacher and even if I had a really great time at my project with so much fun and different activities, I realized that I would not want to work as teacher at a primary school in the future.
“I became more open-minded because of my volunteering, which according to me is one of the main reasons to go abroad for a year as a volunteer.”
In Finland, I met many people, learned a lot about Finnish culture and met volunteers and other foreigners. All this helped me to lose stereotypes and improve my understanding of other cultures. I also became more open-minded because of my volunteering, which according to me is one of the main reasons to go abroad for a year as a volunteer. You will change your own beliefs and values and you can do the same for others. At least I hope that while I learned about Finland, the kids in my school, my host family and other people could learn something from me about Germany.
The camps organized by hosting organisation Maailmanvaihto and my German sending organization ICJA prepared us volunteers for this intercultural interaction. In the end, I know my volunteering did not make a big change, but I think some people are inspired now to meet new people from other countries and cultures.
Max Schodry
This special opportunity came to me during my last year in high school, when I was supposed to decide what to do in the future. Still unsure of my steps, I went to ask about possibility to go abroad and volunteer. I did not have any special expectations or dream country, but somehow I knew that project in Finland will be the best option.
I immediately fell in love with Finland and its wonderful forests, countless lakes and people whose personality is so close to mine, even my family and friends sometimes joke about how I was probably Finnish in a previous life.
As volunteers, we have to do a lot of crafts by ourselves, for example finishing “pannunalunen”.
I have worked in a small workshop called Kisälli-Harjulanmäki where my task was to help and support people with special needs. During my project, I also had the opportunity to learn about looms and other types of art and crafts. Although working with people with disabilities can be hard, I have found working with them very easy and somehow freeing. Every day we found something creative to do and broke the routine with games, walks, excursions, and trips.
“I would suggest for everyone to try to do some kind of volunteer work and explore the world while doing something good for community and yourself.”
But of course volunteer period was not just about working in my project; it is mainly about people you meet and friendships you make. Sharing stories, customs, traditions, and ideas that make you realize that no matter from which part of the world you are coming from, we face the same problems and as long as we have good friends with us, even the Finnish weather can be bearable.
After all, this year has been beneficial for my personal growth. I have learned a lot of things concerning art and creative work. Tried to speak Finnish and failed completely. Traveled a lot both within Finland and other countries. Met extraordinary people and made friends for life.
I would suggest for everyone to try to do some kind of volunteer work and explore the world while doing something good for community and yourself.
Miroslava Sloviakova
EVS volunteer in Finland in the season 2017–18
Mirka participated in Finland in the European Voluntary Service (EVS). Maailmanvaihto receives EVS (nowaways Erasmus+ Volunteering Activities) volunteers for volunteer periods of 6–12 months. Would you be interested in participating? Read more and apply!
I would like to start this off by looking back about one year from when I am writing down these words: It is June 2017, I am finished with all my graduation exams, I am looking forward to finally getting my graduation diploma and there are no classes left to attend nor any homework left to do. I have all the free time in the world, I am travelling and meeting friends, to make it short: life is nice. But besides all that, there is something else on my mind that gets me the most excited: in about two months’ time, mid-august 2017, I will be headed into quite an adventure. For one year, 12 months, 365 days or however you want to put it I will be living abroad; about 1.600km apart in “the country of thousand lakes” as we like to call it in German. One year later I know at least one thing: A thousand lakes is an unheard-of understatement when talking about Finland.
But how did I end up in this situation? Why is one year younger me looking forward to sheer coldness, depressing darkness and more grammatical cases than even Chuck Norris could ever manage? Well, it went down like this: already about 9 months before my graduation I knew that directly going to university was not an option for me. On the other hand, I also did not want to spend a year doing nothing, so I began looking for different options. My online research led me to the homepage of ICJA, ICYE’s committee in Germany. It did not take long before I fell for the idea of joining one of ICYE’s 12 month volunteering programs. I could easily identify with their values and goals and it seemed like the perfect way to take a break from school while still learning new things and gaining valuable experiences.
“It did not take long before I fell for the idea of joining one of ICYE’s 12 month volunteering programs. I could easily identify with their values and goals and it seemed like the perfect way to take a break from school while still learning new things and gaining valuable experiences.”
No sooner said than done I found myself filling in the online application which made me face an important decision: where exactly was I going to become a volunteer? Decision making is an exhausting process anyways and it does not necessarily become easier, if basically the whole world would be up for grabs. However, I’d be lying if I said that it was a particularly hard case for me. I knew pretty quickly that I did not want to melt in the brutal heat of Australia, India or the Philippines, which are among the most common destinations for young Germans to go to for volunteering. No, I was a lot more fascinated by the perspective of quiet lakes, lonesome forests and the realest of winters that the north has to offer. In addition, being a hopeless freak for languages, I got interested in the challenge that is trying to learn Finnish immediately.
Luckily, things ended up working out perfectly for me: not only did I get a place as a volunteer, I also got it for Finland. Jumping back forward in time just a little more than a year to June 2018, I can now say that I am still very happy with how things developed. Instead of two months until my departure to Finland, now it is only two months more until my return to Germany. I have a lot of tales and thoughts to tell from the past ten months and I would like to share them here. I hope you will enjoy reading about my experiences, whether you are yourself pondering to become a volunteer or just interested for some other reason. So, let’s jump right into it!
Since I am writing this while being at my working place, I guess it makes sense to dive right into describing my project. Practically, it has already ended recently, since the last day of May was also the last day of school for the students that I had been with for the time of my volunteering period. At the moment, I am taking part in the school’s vacation program. It consists of a lot of being outside, doing sports and all kind of other fun things like karaoke. That makes it a very nice way for me to spend my last working days for this place.
“Basically, the goal is that the students get to have a say in the planning of their future rather than only being directed by others.”
The name of the school that I have been volunteering at is Keskuspuiston ammattopisto. It is a vocational school for people with disabilities. Its aim is to prepare the students for independent living and help them to find a transition to work life. For that purpose, the lessons on one hand contain tasks like cooking, cleaning or math to the students’ abilities. On the other hand lessons like itsetuntemus (knowing yourself) are supposed to help the students get to know their feelings and make them able to express how they are feeling or what their opinion on something is. In addition, the school organizes short internships at working places like supermarkets or fast food restaurants to give the students the possibility of experiencing different kinds of work areas. Basically, the goal is that the students get to have a say in the planning of their future rather than only being directed by others. Finally, the program also holds quite a lot of physical education or excursions to similar institutions or places like youth houses.
Exploring the Finnish summer with a friend
Personally, I have mostly been working with two groups of students, one consisting of ten students, the other of six. My tasks as a volunteer included helping in lessons for example with math exercises, motivating and helping them during PE lessons and just generally talking to them and trying to get to know them. To break it down, the role of volunteer is rather a social one instead of being an actual teacher. That is something that I wish I had prepared myself better for before I started working here. In the beginning it was quite a challenge for me, since I had to figure out my position and also overcome the language barrier, since almost all of the students did not speak English. With time, as my Finnish progressed pretty quickly and I started figuring out how I had to behave in certain situations, it got a lot better and I began to feel a lot more confident in the social aspect of my role as a volunteer. I also spoke with the head secretary of our host organization and together we found ways to incorporate my skills better into the project, for example I began to assist in language classes outside of those two groups. That is certainly I something I would strongly advice: if you are not completely satisfied with something as a volunteer, communicate it!
Next to my work as a volunteer, Keskuspuisto also provided me with my accommodation. I have been living in one of the dormitory buildings for the students. In those dorm rooms, they can practice living on their own and having to organize their own household. It also works as some kind of boarding school for some of them. As a volunteer for Keskuspuisto, I was also allowed to live in one of those dorm rooms. It was a really nice flat, I have to say. I had my own bathroom, living room with beds, kitchen and even a small balcony that was perfect for warm and bright summer nights. I really enjoyed staying on my own instead of in a host family like most other volunteers. I had never lived alone before and therefore got the chance to practice that. It was nice to figure out a rhythm for cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping etc.; that is definitely something I learned for life.
“I had never lived alone before and therefore got the chance to practice that. It was nice to figure out a rhythm for cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping etc.; that is definitely something I learned for life.”
Also the location where the dormitory is situated came in really handy for me. Keskuspuisto has different offices and school areas all around Helsinki and its surroundings. I worked in the one in Espoo, a town directly in the west of Helsinki, but living in one of the places in Helsinki. From there it takes about 25 minutes to get to the center which made exploring Finland’s capital quite accessible for me.
I used that possibility a lot to go and wander around Helsinki. For that reason, I have gotten to know the city quite well and after having experienced all the seasons here, I can say that I have overall enjoyed living in this city. I have often been asked, by foreigners as well as Finns, what I like or do not like about Helsinki. This is how after ten months I am answering people:
I like the city, since it offers a lot of parks, nature venues and possibilities to be outside, whether just hanging out with friends or doing some sports. It is one of the greenest bigger cities that I have been to which I really appreciate. I also enjoy the city’s atmosphere. Helsinki is not a place of busy, rushing, hectic people. It has something very calm and relaxed about it, it invites you to walk around and maybe sit down somewhere instead of forcing you to run from place to place. Of course, other people might tell different stories about the city and it is as fascinating as funny how strongly those can diverge. I have heard from some people that the city is a bit too quiet for their taste, that there is too little buzz from full cafés or people on the streets. On the other hand – and this relates mostly to Finns who are not living in Helsinki or its surroundings – people have called out the city for its grey skies, muddy winters and its anonymity between all the people of different origins who are only focusing on themselves. Now this is kind of a typical image that people from more rural areas have of their capital city that can bee seen all over the world. And yes, it is not only pretty and peaceful: construction sides, pale apartment blocks and filthy bars sometimes disrupt the cityscape. However, in the case of Helsinki I definitely do not agree with those people. What prevails for me is that I like the city for its diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness and all the beautiful new spots that I keep on discovering all the time.
So what do I make of this experience? One year in Finland – what will I take home with me? Besides more winter clothing than any bag in this world could carry, I mean. Well, first of all I found a country that I enjoy for its wide forests and dreamy lakes, for its friendly people, for its difficult and tongue-breaking language, for its cold winters and bright summer nights, for its absurdities and quirks. I have also been asked quite a few times, if my view on Finland has changed while living here. In regard to that I have to admit that my image of Finland before did not reach any further than “Well, Europe.” That, of course, is not untrue. It has been a pleasure though to dig a little deeper and get to know the country better than that. Yet, I would not dare to say that I have gotten to fully know this country, if that even is something that is possible for any country. There is still a lot more to discover: places that I have not been to yet, traditional food that I have not tasted yet or winter sports that I want to able to exercise at least to an extend that is above total failure. I have also found quite a lot of Finnish music that I like. I am mentioning this, since this article’s title is a tribute to a Finnish classic. There it says “Minä lähden Pohjois-Karjalaan”, in English: I am leaving to North Karelia. Karelia is a region in Finland that I am yet to visit but that I adore anyways for its great pasty. The meaning of “Minä lähden Pohjois-Eurooppaan” should not be hard to guess now. By the way, I also would like have one of those student overalls for my own at some point, because they are damn cool in my opinion. Long story short: Finland is definitely a place that I will be returning to in the future to see even more of it than I already explored and catch up with the people I have gotten to know here.
“Even though I might not work in this field in the future, I for sure can transfer a lot of skills that I have acquired here to all kinds of other working places.”
Secondly, there is a couple of things that I learned from my voluntary work at Keskuspuisto and living in one of the school’s dorm rooms. I gained a lot of independence in the past ten months and got a lot braver in showing initiative and including my own ideas. I also learned that it is important to openly speak with others about what is on your mind that might be hindering you from feeling better. I also was forced to train myself in mental flexibility and allowing myself to not have to do everything perfectly. For example, when I prepared a lesson for the students, that lesson did not always go exactly as planned. But I learned to improvise in those situations and change my plans accordingly – and it always worked, at least kind of sort of. One of the most precious learning experiences is probably the thing as a whole: working in an environment that is probably far from what I will ever be doing in my future life. I did not have a lot of experience in with working with people with disabilities before, so in ten months I learned a lot about this kind of work, the nice sides as well as the difficulties. It was interesting to talk to teachers and also hear their praise as well as worries about this kind of job. Even though I might not work in this field in the future, I for sure can transfer a lot of skills that I have acquired here to all kinds of other working places. Overall, I have gotten a glance into work life and collected valuable experiences in this work field which I am very thankful for.
Lastly, I learned a lot from interacting with the other international volunteers and also Finnish people – intercultural learning is the term here. I can think back to a lot of deep and interesting conversations that often showed me a new perspective I had never thought of before. That is why it is great to have quite an international and open-minded environment: people coming from different countries or even continents have a lot of thoughts and experiences to share, be it weird food traditions, costume festivals or political issues. In a group of people with as much various backgrounds as there our in our volunteer community, there is a lot to talk about and exchange which I really enjoyed. In relation to that, we maybe also gave the Finnish people we have interacted with some new ideas and made them look at themselves and their home country in a new way. Although keeping these kind of international relationships alive is not an easy thing to do, I hope that I can stay in touch with at least some of the international friends I have found here.
I could go on for a lot of pages more writing about my volunteer experiences but I feel like this is a nice note to find an end on. I hope this was as enjoyable to read as it was for me to write. I had a great time going back in time in my head and recalling all those memories and experiences I got to collect in the past ten months. Hopefully I was able to give a profound insight into my life as an international voluntary worker in Finland and give some answers, if you reading this yourself are considering to apply for such a program. I can with all certainty say: it is worth it! I personally was able to take a lot out of my volunteering period and would without a doubt recommend becoming a volunteer.
To finish this, I would like to thank you for reading this if you have made it until here. I hope I could give you some food for thought on the way. If you are going to apply for a volunteering period yourself, I wish you all the best for your own journey! I still have two months of my own journey left, which I am really excited for.
Now there is only on thing left so for me: kiitos tästä ja moi moi!
Christoph Scheike
ICYE volunteer in Finland in the season 2017–18
In the photo at the top: Our group of international volunteers
Christoph participated in Finland in the International Cultural Youth Exchange program in which the participants volunteer for 6 or 12 months. Would you be interested in ICYE volunteering? Read more about the program and apply!
