“ As a little girl , I remember , not the strangeness of a new country , but a room filled with lots of toys and lovely furniture ,” says Mihraban . She reminisces about a caring teacher and the fun-filled time that was spent along with other Iraqi Kurdish children who were given special integration classes to help them fit into the Finnish system of education . Mihraban spoke of how she and her family had spent 3 years in a refugee camp in Turkey . Then , when Mihraban was 9 , she and her family moved to Hämeenlinna along with other Iraqi Kurdish refugees . Mihraban recollects with appreciation : a very wellthought out integration plan for about 30-40 Iraqi Kurds who were given asylum in Finland in 1990 . It was a happy memory to revisit , she can still sense the joy she felt when she and her siblings saw their own toys in a family room that was assigned to them as part of the Hauho Vastaanottokeskus ’ s arrangements . Her family also had two volunteer Finnish families to help them adjust to daily life in Finland . She remembers those days with gratitude . However , Mihraban remarks ,
“ Nowadays , with more asylum-seekers arriving in Finland , many do not have the smooth and comfortable transition that we enjoyed .”
Using the Neighbourhood Mother model and training at work
Having grown up in the Finnish system , Mihraban has a lot of valuable information that is useful for immigrant families in Finland . Mihraban finds that she is naturally good at helping others find a particular public service or locate a specific authority for their needs . While working at KYKY-Hanke , Helsinki , Mihraban heard about the Neighbourhood Mothers ’ project . It interested her because she knew she could help other immigrant women and families .
She also knew she could use the model of Neighbourhood Mothers in her work at KYKY-Hanke and vice versa . At that time , the Neighbourhood Mothers ’ project training lasted for six months . Managing the training along with home , kids , and work was quite a strain . She decided to temporarily discontinue the training program . However , Mihraban was not one to give up or one to leave things half-done . Months passed . Mihraban then began working as a guidance counsellor at Stadin Osaamiskeskus , Helsinki . As part of her work , she was given an opportunity to sign-up for the shorter Neighbourhood Mothers ’ training program . She attended and completed the entire training . Receiving the certificate and being called an official Neighbourhood Mother was a proud and happy moment indeed . Mihraban says , “ I got to thinking about ways of using the Neighbourhood Mothers ’ model and ideas in my work as a guidance counsellor and advisor for immigrants at Osaamiskeskus . We help chart a path for immigrants in providing them with lots of information , from language courses to study options , or where to go for a particular need . This is especially important because the City of Helsinki seeks ways of officially cooperating with such projects and organizations .”
An additional key takeaway from the training
A life of a Neighbourhood Mother is not easy . Mihraban said that her sisters had often warned her against not getting exhausted with all the helping that she was doing ! But after the Neighbourhood Mothers ’ training , she says , “ I learned how important it was to take care of myself , or I wouldn ’ t have been able to help others ."