minna, Author at Maailmanvaihto ry

Volunteers’ Voices 1/2018: 60 years of making a difference

Editorial: 60 years of experiences

The 6th of August in 1958 was special for at least two Finnish young people. On that particular day two students, Kaija-Liisa Käyhty and Markku Pohjola, took step on an inter-Atlantic ship. An exchange year in the United States awaited on the other side of the ocean. Kaija-Liisa and Markku were the first students that Maailmanvaihto (then International Christian Youth Exchange) ever sent out to the world.

After their return the pair had a lot to tell as in the 50s gaining information on foreign countries was somewhat challenging: The Finnish Broadcasting company (YLE) had only recently started regular television broadcasting and the internet was only discussed behind the closed doors of the Pentagon. Holidays on the Canary Islands or Spain were a rare treat. In addition to all this, the walls of the cold war had risen to cast a shade on the world and made it hard to see what life somewhere else could actually look like.

But let’s fast-forward six decades further, until 2014 to be exact. The 6th of August is once again a special day for at least one Finnish young person: me. This time though there was no boat trip or school year across the seas waiting, but a morning flight towards Asia to start a volunteering period in Nepal. Unlike Kaija-Liisa and Markku, I had plenty of resources to help me prepare for my trip. I followed local media on Twitter, TripAdvisor gave me tips on the best tourist attractions, WikiTravel instructed on local etiquette and a handful of online articles described the main plot line of religion and politics in Nepal. I got to know my host family in advance on Facebook and snooped around my volunteering project through the satellite cameras or Google Maps. One could easily imagine that I knew everything there was to know even before my travel. Nevertheless, in 2015 I returned a hundred times wiser.
Nothing beats the authentic experience.

Maailmanvaihto is turning 60 years old this year. This magazine is an ode to those six decades of making a difference. I wish you enjoyable reading moments!

Roosa Kontiokari
The chair of Maailmanvaihto

In the issue

2: Pääkirjoitus 60 vuotta kokemuksia – Roosa Kontiokari
6 Kutsu kevätkokoukseen – Kokous pidetään 22. maaliskuuta.
7 Ajankohtaiset uutiset – Kesällä valmennusleirille ohjaajaksi tai keittiötyöntekijäksi!
TEEMA: 60 vuotta vaikuttavuutta
THEME: 60 years of making a difference
— 12 Maailmanvaihdon historiaa – Pikakelaus 40-luvun lopulta tähän päivään.
— 14 40 vuotta Maailmanvaihdon matkassa – Outi Pesola kertoo vuosistaan ICYE:n mukana.
— 16 Mitä jäi käteen? – Maailmanvaihdon toimintaan viime vuosikymmenillä osallistuneet kertovat.
19 Tackling racism requires common acts – Ana López Carlassare
22 Vapaaehtoistyö ja rasisminvastaisuuden edistäminen? – Alma Smolander
24 Reittejä maailmalle – Kaksi vapaaehtoista kertoo arjen vaihtamisesta.
26 Feeling young in a youth organization – Haastattelussa ICYE Ugandan Semakula Stuart George.
28 Tule mukaan toimintaan – Tutustu mahdollisuuksiin Suomessa ja ulkomailla!
29 Arkea ja juhlaa tukiperheenä – Tukiperhe tukee auringonpaisteessa ja tuulisilla säillä.
34 Näkökulma: Kisälli ja Euroopan kokoinen ystäväpiiri – Mauri Pajunen
35 Tapahtumakalenteri – 60-vuotiasta Maailmavaihtoa juhlitaan elokuussa.

ISSN 2342-2629 (Printed)
ISSN 2342-2637 (Online publication)

From Feeding Volunteers to Making a Living

Hungarian Ildikó Lászlóffy came to Finland to volunteer four years ago. Ildiko enjoys cooking and is nowadays almost a permanent sight in the kitchen team of Maailmanvaihto’s camps. Volunteering also gave her inspiration for her future’s profession. Read, what she tells about her experiences!

I am Ildi, Maailmanvaihto’s very own quirky Hungarian who also tends to cook in the camps and enjoys making inappropriate jokes. I came here four years ago as a volunteer. I worked in Luovilla, a textile workshop for people with learning disabilities or difficulties. After my volunteer year ended, I decided to stay in Finland and be active with Maailmanvaihto’s activities since I enjoyed them greatly and found them a good opportunity to get to know new people from all around the world.

‘‘This experience made me sure of what I want to do in life – learn, cook, widen my horizons and always help the “underdogs”, everywhere.’’

I have been part of Maailmanvaihto’s kitchen team in several camps and worked with different people from different countries. In these camps, I have learned that people are not that scary and socialising can actually be fun. But being more serious, these camps actually opened me up a lot. When I came here and went to my first camp I was thinking sarcasticly ”great, now I have to play games and talk, yay!” but after some days I had a conversation with myself. Am I going to try to have a nice time here and enjoy the activities or what? I’ve listened to my better self and thanks to that, I still consider my first camp as one of my dearest memories in my life. There was no question that I wanted to return and meet new friends, because every encounter would teach and develop me.

Without my volunteering background I don’t think I would nowadays be studying to become a cook. I have enjoyed cooking since my childhood but never seriously thought about bringing it to the next level. I have played with the idea of becoming a cook, but I thought it would be very hard physically and maybe it would kill out the passion of me if I had to do it professionally for long working days. I have a diploma in a very different field and it wasn’t easy to find work in that field, so I was really thinking about studying something a bit more practical.

Cooking in the camps is not equal to a job in a restaurant but it’s also quite a hard work – with a lot of extra fun. And I loved it. One day I had my enlightment – hey, why wouldn’t I actually try to apply for a cooking school? The camps had given me some ideas on what it is like to be a cook: it’s tiring but I love it. So I decided to give it a try and don’t regret it a bit.

Volunteering abroad can affect one’s life a lot. It’s such a cliché that the world opens up, but it’s true. I moved to a foreign country for the first time in my life. I met very different cultures and people for the first time in my life. I could never go back and be the person who I used to be living in her small world in her home city. This experience made me sure of what I want to do in life – learn, cook, widen my horizons, work with disabled people, improve myself and always help the ”underdogs”, everywhere.

If I would give some tip to people who are planning to volunteer in Finland or abroad, it would be ”Do it!”. It is going to be one of the biggest adventures in your life, for sure it was for me! It is not always easy but volunteering definitely changed my life and I consider it the best decision I have ever made. Be open and try out new things you never thought you would! For me, one of these things was going to a sauna naked – oh my – but I did it and survived it!

Text: Ildikó Lászlóffy, photos: Kaisa Rahko and Minna Räisänen

The article has been published in MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2017 magazine.

Would you like to join in the kitchen team of a training camp of Maailmanvaihto? Read more and contact us!

Volunteering in Finland: On-Arrival Camp Impressions

Welcome to Finland! Every August Maailmanvaihto organises a 10-day On-Arrival Training for the incoming volunteers. At the training the volunteers are given an introduction to topics like the Finnish language and volunteering in the Finnish context. They also become familiar with their peer volunteers and Maailmanvaihto’s co-workers and staff. How was the camp in 2017? The participants tell. [Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland]

Music: Guitalele’s Happy Place by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/56194 Ft: Kara Square (mindmapthat)

A new position as chair and the first meeting

How has the 60th anniversary year of Maailmanvaihto begun? Roosa Kontiokari, the chair of the board of the organization, talks about her January.

1. Hi Roosa! What kind of tasks did you have in January?

I ran the first board meeting of the year – and of my term as chair! Before the meeting I had familiarized myself with my new role with the help of our Secretary General Anni Koskela. The most rewarding thing in January was to get started with the new position and to begin laying out plans for the year.

2. What are your expectations for this year?
I’m looking forward to anything that working on the board during the anniversary year brings with it. I’m sure I will learn a great deal about organizational activities as well as international volunteering. Of course I’m also looking forward to meeting the new volunteers.

3. Maailmanvaihto is working to advance intercultural understanding. What do you think is the board’s role in this?

Building intercultural understanding is one of Maailmanvaihto’s core aims and as such it has to act as a basis for all decisions made by the board. This ensures that Maailmanvaihto’s activities as an organization promotes intercultural understanding in a society.

4. How would you like to see Maailmanvaihto’s activities evolve in the future?

Long-term international volunteering can provide incredibly valuable learning experiences for the volunteers themselves as well as for the people around them. However, only a few understands or even knows about that. My hope for the future is that more people will get to hear about the amazing experiences that people have had through Maailmanvaihto’s activities.

5. What is your own experience of intercultural learning in Maailmanvaihto’s activities?

People in different cultures see the world from different perspectives, but in the end humanity and humanness is the same – regardless of where in the world you are.

6. Three reasons to join Maailmanvaihto’s activities?

International experiences, positive atmosphere and great people.

Finally, your greetings to the 60-year-old Maailmanvaihto?

Congratulations on the anniversary! Keep up the good work and remember to enjoy the anniversary year.

Photo: The first meeting of Maailmanvaihto’s board was held in January. Roosa Kontiokari in the middle in the photo.

The article series My anniversary year presents once a month during Maailmanvaihto’s 60th anniversary year what’s going on in the lives of people connected with the organization. The anniversary year is filled with different kinds of activities and people!

Volunteering at Kainuun opisto

Deciding to come to Europe for a voluntary year was one of the most difficult things for Bolivian Lourdes Morales. The year in Finland gave her more than she had ever hoped for.

Deciding to come and volunteer in Europe was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. It meant giving up my family, job, friends and a whole life I had built in Bolivia. But it also meant the possibility to get a new kind of experience outside my comfort zone and get a chance to learn about cultures and see the world. So, I ventured to it.

First of all, whereas other Bolivian volunteers were accepted in countries like Germany or Great Britain, I got accepted in Finland. Everybody was worried that I was going to live in the North Pole… Then, from the very many international volunteers working throughout Finland, the project that was assigned to me was the one furthest North. I REALLY ended up being the volunteer living closest to the North Pole!

“Everybody was worried that I was going to live in the North Pole… Then, from the very many international volunteers working throughout Finland, the project that was assigned to me was the one furthest North.”

Also, most volunteers are living near the Helsinki area or at least very close to the biggest cities, and living in houses with families or support people. Meanwhile, I was still trying to find Mieslahti in maps where I could barely see Paltamo.

But still, after these months of experiencing living, working and sharing with people at Kainuun Opisto, there is no place I would rather be.

When I arrived, the classes had already started and I had to keep up with the different activities that were assigned to me. Little by little, I started talking to more people, making new friends and understanding the kind of place I was living in. A mixture of people of so many different ages, countries, cultures and backgrounds that had my head spinning for months!

But at the same time, all of them were just trying to adapt to a new life in a different kind of place. No matter where they came from, they were accepting the culture of peace. Getting to know one another and establishing bonds among each other without even contemplating the possibility of discrimination or mistreatment. So many people were there just trying hard to achieve their goals and lead happy lives. And, although I felt so far away from all I knew, the thought of being surrounded by them also made me feel, in a way, at home.

During my one-year volunteering project, I have been a part of some classes as a student, some as a tutor and some as a teacher. I have been responsible of helping with some extracurricular activities as well. And it has all been an interesting experience.

“Little by little, I started talking to more people, making new friends and understanding the kind of place I was living in. A mixture of people of so many different ages, countries, cultures and backgrounds that had my head spinning for months!”

I have had the opportunity to teach both English and Spanish, which have been greatly rewarding experiences since they are part of my professional field. Also helping other teachers with their language courses and getting a chance to see how teaching is approached in Finland have been rewarding experiences.

Besides these, I had some activities related to the international volunteering organization, such as doing presentations of my country in different schools nearby Mieslahti and attending some meetings and training camps along with other volunteers. There, I also got to see a little bit more of the Finnish reality, education and way of thinking.

This experience has shown me more than I had ever hoped for. It has allowed me to make friends, learn about cultures and see so many beautiful places, but also learn many things about myself. Truth be told, volunteering is an amazing experience that I highly recommend for people who want to travel and get to see and experience more of the world.

Text: Lourdes Morales, photos: from the album of Lourdes Morales

The article has been published in the magazine MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2016.

Lourdes 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!

#VolunteeringMadeMe

“Volunteering made me…” How has volunteering abroad – be it in Finland or other countries – impacted the life of the volunteers? Volunteers share their thoughts.

Volunteering made me.. eager to learn – knowledge is the key to understanding. Brave – world can be a scary place, but every experience makes facing new ones easier. Curious – travelling and meeting new people is the essence of life.

Volunteering made me… do what I feel I have to do; even though I don’t believe that I live only once, I do believe that there are certain things that have to be done in each life and I have learned to trust the prickling feeling which strikes my heart when it is time to get over a fear and make the next step. It also made me believe that everything is possible; it’s just a question of my own attitude.

Volunteering made me… braver and more self-confident. It made me believe in humankind a little bit more. And most importantly, it made me find friends for life.

Volunteering made me… a world citizen. Most of the things I hold dear are related to my year in Finland in 1979-80. Now, nearing the end of my career as a lawyer in Sydney, I reflect how fortunate I was. I have continued to be engaged with international issues, including with church organisations involved with international aid. I have traveled very widely but always love coming back to Finland, which I have done many times.

Volunteering made me… who I am today: enthusiastic about working for peace and intercultural understanding on a daily basis.

Volunteering made… me courageous. Anyone can make a difference.

Volunteering made me… proud of the world we live in. No matter how dark could be the future; always will be some people who enlighten the way with their example. Just follow them. Or, better, became one of them

Volunteering made me… open-minded. Before my voluntary work period volunteering was always missing from my life. Afterward I feel volunteering completed me. Thank you to all who let me find my missing parts.

Volunteering made me… be myself and be patient in every situation. It also gave me lots of friends from every corner of the world.

Volunteering made me… appreciate active citizenship in all layers of society. It made me open my eyes to all the possibilities out there for influential work. Most importantly, it me appreciate working together toward common goals.

Volunteering made me… a better, more open person and helped me find my profession.

Volunteering made me… have more courage. Volunteering made me see the world in a different way. Volunteering made me the person I am today.

Volunteering made me tough. Open and accepting towards different people. Feel accepted as I am and accept myself as I am. Humble. Rich with experience. Learn more about myself and step out of my comfort zone. Better at communicating. Fulfill one of my dreams.

Volunteering made me… permanently less tolerant for routine.

Volunteering made me… find my element. Thanks to volunteering I gained a lot of valuable and unforgettable experience, met wonderful people and realized what are my aptitudes.

Volunteering made me… confident. I learned that worrying less and living more gives you so many exciting experiences and the best memories.

Volunteering made me… happy!!!

Volunteering made me more connected to the world and to myself!

Volunteering made me… broad-minded. I learnt that the Finnish way of for example raising children is just one of many different ways.

Volunteering made me an active citizen interested in global justice.

Volunteering made me… open my eyes, volunteering made me restart my life. Volunteering made me open my eyes of heart, volunteering made me start my second life.

The photo campaign is a part of the project ”Calling Youth to Action in a Global Visibility Drive” (Erasmus+ Key Action 2) which aims to promote the value of volunteering in terms of benefits to the volunteers and host organisations: www.icye.org/calling-youth

Volunteers’ Voices 2/2017: food

Editorial: Against mindless excuses based on cultural differences

The board of Maailmanvaihto decided in their latest spring meeting to include into Maailmanvaihto’s civic advocacy strategy dismantling stereotypes related to foreigners. The aftermath of the tragedy in Turku has proven this goal to be very topical. It is easy to just blame cultural differences for problems that arise. The more and the closer you look, the more you notice these sorts of explanations for such problems. The challenge for us is to get more people to realize the individuality of people with different backgrounds. As a Finnish person, I am not responsible for the actions of any other Finnish person, so why would foreigners be responsible for the actions of other foreigners?

Maailmanvaihto offers young people the chance to live as a member of a foreign culture for a significant amount of time. One of the main objectives of this time abroad is to get volunteers to develop a more detailed idea and a wider perspective on various issues. We encourage and support volunteers in sharing their thoughts and experiences, and by doing this we get even more young people to see the world from a wider perspective.

Our school visits in Finland reached about 1 900 youngsters and children last year. In addition to that, our volunteers wrote blogs and articles, and shared their experiences with participants in various events. For young people, the most influential messages related to other countries are those told by other young people who have actually lived in these countries. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in spreading Maailmanvaihto’s message for their role in dismantling stereotypes!

The theme of this issue is food. I welcome you to read about all the encounters that people have had while eating, both in Finland and the rest of the world. Enjoy your read!

Anni Koskela
Secretary general

In this magazine

6 Kutsu syyskokoukseen
7 Ajankohtaista
Teema: Ruoka | Theme: Food
— 11 From feeding volunteers to making a living
— 16 Ruoan merkityksestä taiwanilaisessa kulttuurissa
–18 Reseptigalleria: makuja muilta mantereilta
–22 Välähdyksiä aterioiden ääreltä
26 Intercultural learning and pristine beaches
28 Arki vaihtoon ymmärryksen rakentamiseksi
32 Tule mukaan toimintaan
33 Leirielämästä eväitä ammattiin ja päinvastoin
34 Maailmanvaihdon toiminnan lähtökohtia
35 Tapahtumakalenteri

ISSN 2342-2629 (Printed)
ISSN 2342-2637 (Online version)

Auf in den Norden – Ein Jahr in Finnland

Hello stranger, my name is Christoph but just call me Chris. I come from Germany but right now I’m living in Helsinki for the time of my voluntary service. I work at Keskuspuiston ammattiopisto, a vocational college for people with disabilities. It is my job to assist in different classes but also to start some of my own projects according to interests or skills of mine. In this blog I would like to share my experience with you, that is if you speak some German. My goal is to make it an enjoyable and fun read but still portray my observations and how I am experiencing and coping with certain things. Have a look around if you’re interested.

Read the blog of Christoph (in German) >>

Christoph’s blog is from the season 2017–18. See the blogs of other volunteers here.

Une année finlandaise

Moi! My name is Clémence (on the left side in the photo), I’m from France and I just began my one year volunteer in Myllylähde (a few hours north to Helsinki) in Finland this Septembre 2017. During this year, I will be a part of a Camphill community, which means gardening and weaving with people with special needs.

Read the blog of Clémence (in French) >>

The blog is from the season 2017–18. Clémence participates in Finland in the European Voluntary Service (EVS). Maailmanvaihto receives EVS volunteers for volunteer periods of 6–12 months. Would you be interested in participating? Read more about it and apply!

Volunteer life in Finland

Moi! Tervetuloa blogiin. I’m Kyoko and 22 years old. I came from Japan and I live in Kotka as a ICYE volunteer. My voluntary work in Kotka is a daycare center for children (kindergarten). In my kindergarten we mainly communicate in English, but almost all children know Finnish, too. I would like to share my experience on my blog! Enjoy it!

>> Read the blog of Kyoko (in Japanese)

The blog is from the season 2017–18. Kyoko participates in the International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE) program. Maailmanvaihto receives ICYE volunteers for volunteer periods of 6–12 months. Would you be interested in participating? Read more about the ICYE program and apply!

Editorial: 60 years of experiences

In the issue

Read also

Vounteers’ Voices 2/2023: Decolonising international volunteering

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2023: Language and Communication

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2022: Sustainable Volunteering

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A glimpse of a host family’s new ordinary

A new position as chair and the first meeting

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Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

Join us in creating the MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices magazine!

Bite the Culture: Italian Night Wed 23 April (Helsinki) – register now!

Workshop on postcolonial political imagination

Read also

Tim Dieltiens: EVS as a lifeline

Photos: Maailmanvaihto’s 60th anniversary year celebration

English lessons and club activities at a primary school

Read also

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2023: Language and Communication

Keeping in touch after volunteering

Greetings from abroad: From Finland to Austria and from Taiwan to Finland

Read also

Greetings from abroad: Assisting at vocational school and leading football training

Greetings from abroad!

Voluntary Culture Shocks – Podcast on International Volunteering

Editorial: Against mindless excuses based on cultural differences

In this magazine

Read also

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2023: Language and Communication

Greetings from abroad: From Finland to Austria and from Taiwan to Finland

Towards Meaningful Meetings in Volunteering

Read also

Keeping in touch after volunteering

ESC volunteering at Maailmanvaihto: a joint learning experience

Sharing and Caring as a Host Family

Read also

Greetings from abroad: from Finland to Switzerland, from Germany to Finland

Keeping in touch after volunteering

ESC volunteering at Maailmanvaihto: a joint learning experience

Read also

Keeping in touch after volunteering

ESC volunteering at Maailmanvaihto: a joint learning experience

Sharing and Caring as a Host Family