minna, Author at Maailmanvaihto ry

Tim Schmitt: A Gap Year after high school

My name is Tim Schmitt, I am 19 years old and currently volunteering at two schools in Alavus. One of them is an elementary school (alakoulu), and the other one is a secondary school (yläkoulu). At the elementary school, I have English classes where I teach the pupils vocabulary or a little bit of grammar by playing games with them. At yläkoulu, my main purpose is to motivate the students to learn some more English, so I am mostly sitting in classes trying to talk to them so that they get interested in using the language.

“After spending one year abroad I realized that there is a lot more to life than your job, and it’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out.”

Volunteering was always my main plan for a gap year. A lot of people in my environment at home, a town called Ratingen next to Düsseldorf, have spent time abroad, some even in similar volunteering programs. They always told me nice stories and how much fun they had, so I figured I would also like to try it. Of course, there were options like work and travel, but I couldn’t really afford that because I couldn’t work that much during high school. As a volunteer, I received funding from the German government which enabled this opportunity.

Effects of the pandemic on the decision

In June 2020, I graduated from high school, which meant that I had two months of doing nothing until I was able to come to Finland. After this, I was so bored that I was really glad to finally start working again. Another motivation to go volunteering at that specific time was that the universities in Germany would have been online due to the COVID pandemic, so my choices were either sitting in online classes learning some theoretical stuff for the rest of the year, or going abroad and having a volunteering position where I could actually do something practical. That was a clear choice for me.

There have been many challenges in these times, but none of them has made the experience less enjoyable. Even though I’m living in the countryside in Finland, COVID has affected my everyday life. For example, there has been some uncertainty in my workplace, because at any time the numbers of COVID cases could rise, and then the schools would be closed and I wouldn’t have anything to do. Also, when I wanted to meet people in my free time it was very hard to find anything to do, and meeting new people in sports clubs or other public events was impossible. However, I didn’t miss anything at home because Germany was always in lockdown. That made the whole idea of not being able to see my friends while I’m here a lot easier because they couldn’t see each other anyways.

New perspectives on career and life

I’ve always had the feeling that I would like to work in a job that’s social in nature, and the past year has shown me that this feeling was correct. Through my volunteering period, I found reassurance of what kind of work I want to do after my studies.

Besides that, volunteering has given me new insights into life. In Germany, it felt to me that it is very important that you have a perfect life: you finish high school, then go to university and have everything figured out, and then make a lot of money. After spending one year abroad I realized that there is a lot more to life than your job, and it’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out. There is always more than one way to be happy in life and it doesn’t necessarily come from being the best at everything but also from having nice people to share your time with.

Interviews: Emma Niemi ja Mia-Elina Aintila

The article has appeared in MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2021, as a part of an article in which also Siiri Sandberg and Paula Rajala share their volunteering experiences.

Greetings from abroad! From Taiwan to Finland

I went because…

I wanted to experience a different lifestyle and learn more about cultural issues. I also wanted to see more practical global education and environment protection in another country. Thus, I decided to go and volunteer and stay abroad for one year. It seemed like a perfect option for me.

To Finland!

I am an art educator in Taiwan. Before coming to Finland, I had my private art studio for pupils. I really love my work and want to encourage more parents in Taiwan to let their children enjoy art. I believe that art definitely works as therapy and as a source of comfort. It also allows children to show their confidence and talent and is a good tool for communication. For some reason, not many parents in my country have the same opinion as I do, so I wanted to see how the situation is in Finland and learn more.

Working in an art workshop with disabled people

In my project I work with disabled people. I work in Kirsikoti, which is a home for people with special needs. They live and create art there. The staff provides daily living care and activities for the residents. Activities can include for example a food party, an ice hockey game or doing other sports, concerts and exhibitions or traveling.

I usually help in the art workshop. If the participants need any help, I can cut the fabrics for them, install different parts of a wooden board together, help with setting up the exhibition or even join a special training class with them. I really love the people here and I am so glad that I can be part of the Kirsikoti community

My greetings to those thinking of volunteering abroad

It wasn’t my original plan to apply to this voluntary workplace but when I arrived in Kirsikoti, I realised that it was the best thing that could happen to me. If I never convinced myself to break out of my comfort zone, I would never learn new things about the world and myself.

The learning process might not always be that easy and happy, especially when it comes to learning to be alone with yourself. A long stay abroad can change a person a lot. I recommend just to enjoy the experience and be brave to expand your vision.

The interview has been published in the magazine MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2020, as a part of an article in which also Iida Lehisalo shares thoughs. Iida traveled for ICYE volunteering from Finland to Taiwan. Read the interview of Iida (in Finnish).

Volunteering at a special folk high school in Finland

What’s up with the volunteers of Maailmanvaihto? Two of them share their greetings. Anna-Maija Kanerva traveled from Finland to Bolivia for ICYE volunteering, and Yara Felten came from Germany to Finland to work as an European Solidarity Corps volunteer.

Yara Felten: Volunteering at a special folk high school in Finland

I wanted to join international volunteering because …

… I wanted to do something different after school, something that felt more meaningful. I also didn’t know yet what I wanted to study, so a year of doing something new and exploring the world and myself in different ways seemed like a good idea. (Spoiler: It was.)

I volunteered at…

…Lehtimäki Opisto, a school for people with various disabilities. There I helped out in different lessons like handcrafts, music, languages, cooking, gymnastics, and woodworks, as well as worked in the kitchen and the horse stable.

When I was looking for a volunteering project, I was searching for something in a more rural area, ideally working either with disabled people or in an environmental context. So Lehtimäki Opisto was perfect, being situated 60 km of forest east of Seinäjoki. It also let me integrate my love for horses, music and various kinds of handicrafts into my work.

Which tools have you used to make your volunteering project greener?

Mainly, I used the Green Travel option. It is a slightly higher budget for traveling to and from your project in environmentally friendly (or at least friendlier) ways. In my case it meant taking the Ferry between Germany and Finland (by far not an emission free mode of transport either but at least possibly less damaging than a plane), and I had a great time onboard! Free gym & sauna, lots of time spent reading on the sun deck, no luggage limits…

Otherwise I tried to make things greener in all the typical small ways, like trying to avoid overconsumption and mainly buying winter clothes second-hand, buying food locally as far as possible, avoiding unnecessary plastics, not eating meat and not too many other animal products, and so on. I am far from perfect in that regard, and there is still more I could have done – there always is – but I feel like all those things are already a good start.

Have you learned something new about Sustainability during your project?

What I have definitely gotten more conscious of is the intersectionality of so many topics, including sustainability. Without international collaboration, climate change cannot effectively be fought. Without addressing social injustice (on a national and global scale), the wealthiest percent will continue causing the most emissions. Even many of the choices I am able to make in my Everyday life in order to live Sustainably are only possible because of my own place of privilege, and most of my emissions are caused because of that too (which makes it even more important for me to try my best in that regard).

But as much as I believe that those little choices are important and might even cause butterfly effects, real change can only be made when big corporations and the wealthiest are being held accountable, on a global scale. So we need to address all those different issues together, which makes it both more complicated and even more important.

My project also showed me how beautifully international collaboration can work, so I am now much more hopeful, that if there is a will, there will also be a way. National and global politics only need to find that will.

What would you say to those considering joining international volunteering?

Simple: go for it! It will most likely be an amazing time for you (and if not you can still quit XD).

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2025: Environment and International Volunteering

Read the magazine in pdf.

In this issue:

Pääkirjoitus / Editorial 4
Kutsu syyskokoukseen / Invitation to Autumn Meeting 6
Kuulumisten vaihtoa / News from Maailmanvaihto 7
Tule mukaan toimintaan 10
Englanninkielisiä juttutuokioita, pulkkamäkeä ja talvikenkäostoksia 11
Join our activities 13
Terveisiä maailmalta / Greetings from Abroad 14
Vapaaehtoistyötä ympäri maailmaa:
Kesäistä talkootyötä vapaaehtoistyön lomassa 19
Kolme kysymystä alumnille: Meksiko mullisti elämän 22
Getting greener: How the environment is considered in the activities of Maailmanvaihto 23
Thinking Twice About the Journey 25
Vapaaehtoiset kestävän kehityksen ja luonnonsuojelun parissa 29
“How were environmental issues a part of my volunteering experience?” 31
Luontoviisauksia alkuperäiskansoilta 33
Tulevat tapahtumat / Upcoming Events 34

Stand for election! New board members of the Maailmanvaihto Board will be elected 10.11.2025

Would you like to join us in steering the activities of Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland? Run for the Maailmanvaihto Board! The new members of the board will be elected at our organisation’s autumn meeting on 10.11.2025.

Being a member of the Maailmanvaihto board is a volunteer position where you will gain experience in the intricacies of running an organisation, as well as knowledge and skills in areas such as information, education and intercultural interaction.

The board decides on matters such as Maailmanvaihto’s plans and finances. In addition, each board member has a specific area of responsibility, often involving a working group. >> Read more about board activities

The election of the board members and the chaiperson takes place at the Maailmanvaihto Autumn Meeting. The Autumn Meeting will take place on 10 November 2025 at 17.15 at the Maailmanvaihto office in Helsinki. It is also possible to attend the meeting remotely via Zoom. >> See more information on the meeting

Interested?

If you would like to stand for the board, we would like to hear from you before the meeting. You can fill in the electric form (Google Forms) or email or call: maailmanvaihto(at)maailmanvaihto.fi, +358 50 452 5660.
If you can’t make the autumn meeting, please send a letter of motivation to Maailmanvaihto at maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi no later than the day before the meeting, telling the people at the autumn meeting about yourself and your motivation to serve on the board of Maailmanvaihto. Your message will be presented to the people at the Autumn Meeting.

Further information

Want to ask more questions about running for election or board work? Contact us, we’ll be happy to tell you more.

Secretary General Anni Koskela
maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi
+358 50 452 5660.

“Maailmanvaihto has a wonderful team working on an important issue. Through board work you get to learn a lot of new things about the organisation and its international activities. I believe that both Maailmanvaihto and those interested in board work will gain a lot from each other by working together. Be brave and join in!” – Board member Venla

Maailmanvaihto’s Autumn Meeting 10th November 2025

Dear members of Maailmanvaihto and participants of our activities, a warm welcome to the Autumn Meeting to agree upon the directions of Maailmanvaihto for the upcoming year. At the autumn meeting, we will decide on the action plan and budget and elect new board members.

If you are interested in influencing at Maailmanvaihto and gaining valuable experience in non-governmental organization activities, we encourage you to run for board member. Maailmanvaihto’s Secretary General will gladly give you more information about board activities (see the contact details below).

Time: Monday 10th of November, 5:15 PM
Place: Maailmanvaihto Office, Oikokatu 3, Helsinki. It is possible to join the meeting online via Zoom, too. If you want to participate online, you must sign up on 9th November 2025 at the latest to the Secretary General via e-mail or by phone (see contact details below).
Agenda:
- Action plan for 2026
- Budget for 2026
- Election of board members and chair of the board
- Election of accountants and operation inspectors for 2026
- Membership fees for 2026

Action plan and budget suggestions can be requested to be seen beforehand. Send you request to the Secretary General (see contact details below).

Welcome!

On behalf of Maailmanvaihto’s board

Anni Koskela
Secretary General
E-mail: maailmanvaihto(at)maailmanvaihto.fi
Phone: +358 (0)50 452 5660

Accessibility and Safer Space

The meeting will be held in Finnish, in English, or in both languages according to the wishes of the participants. In the meeting, Maailmanvaihto’s Safer Space principles will be followed. Inside Maailmanvaihto’s office it is possible to move around with a wheelchair, but the office space is not completely wheelchair accessible: there is an approximately 7 cm doorstep at the entrance, and the toilet is not big enough for a wheelchair. Assistance dogs are welcome. The accessibility information of Zoom you can find at explore.zoom.us/en/accessibility.

If you have questions on the accessibility, please, contact us: tiedottaja@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Dagtek FIXtv

DAGTEK SERVICEENHET offers services for people with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder as a part of Western Uusimaa wellbeing services county (Västra Nylands välfärdsområde in Swedish). The activities Dagtek offers are divided into several sections in different areas.

FIXtv is a web-tv channel made by people with intellectual disabilities together with a tutor. The goal is to give people with disabilities positive visibility in society. FIXtv:s programs can be seen on our website, https://fixtv.fi.

Location

Dagtek is located in Ekenäs (Tammisaari in Finnish), which is a small town with about 15 000 inhabitants situated by the sea in Southern Finland. Dagtek is located in the centre of the town. The majority language spoken in Ekenäs is Swedish (81%) and about 17% of the population speaks Finnish. Ekenäs is a part of the Raseborg commune (28 000 inhabitants).

Volunteer’s role and tasks

The volunteer’s role at FIXtv is to support and assist the clients in their daily activities. That means mainly everything that has to do with filmmaking. The volunteer will participate in planning, filming, editing and sharing our programs. One task is also to create content to FIXtv:s social media together with the clients.

The volunteer will also help the clients in their daily activities related to mealtimes, walks outside, as well as helping the clients when they arrive and leave Dagtek.

Volunteers through the European Solidarity Corps program have become an important and highly valued resource in our activities. Through European Solidarity Corps volunteer cooperation, we wish to offer our community members the possibility to build networks and get a wider perspective on the world around us.

The volunteer will also write articles for Dagtek’s own Magazine (Dagtek Chronicles). The work with the magazine is done together with the clients and other staff members.

A couple times a year the volunteers will also plan parties for Dagtek. For example, a disco party or a summer party. This will be planned and arranged together with the staff members.

Volunteer’s profile

We are looking for volunteers interested in working with adults (18–60-year-olds) with different types of intellectual disabilities, autism disorder, or minor learning disabilities. It is important that the volunteer is socially active, flexible, and motivated to participate in community life, meaning being there for the clients and communicating actively with them.

It is also important that the volunteer has open communication with the staff team and shares their ideas and observations with them. The working language of Dagtek is Swedish, so it is important to be motivated to learn Swedish. It is also important to be able to tolerate fast-changing situations.
Volunteering at FIXtv is especially suitable for candidates who have a strong interest in filmmaking. Having filming and editing skills is beneficial, as is knowledge of using the editing program Premiere Pro or a similar one.

Accommodation, food, transportation, and holidays

The volunteers will live in a shared flat of three volunteers.
Lunch will be offered at Dagtek. Other meals will be cooked by the volunteer and the volunteer will get a food allowance.
In July, the volunteers will have holidays for 2 weeks when the workshops are closed.

Training during the volunteering period

The volunteer will have an on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp organised by the Finnish National Agency of the European Solidarity Corps.
The volunteer will get access to the Online Language Support (OLS) tool of the European Solidarity Corps to support learning Swedish.

Accessibility

The physical environment of Dagtek is also suitable for people with physical or (minor) sensory disabilities, depending on the needs of the person. Wheelchair access is possible and there is an accessible toilet in the building. Since Dagtek works with people with different disabilities, our staff has experience in providing extra support and can sometimes support the volunteer, if needed. However, there are no resources to provide continuous intensive support for the volunteer. If you have a disability, please, feel welcome to contact us for consultation via the coordinating organization Maailmanvaihto: esc@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Themes

Creativity and culture, disabilities – inclusion – equality, health, and wellbeing