The project has one educator per child as
required by Finnish law. All staff members are
trained in working with vulnerable children
and dealing with mental health issues, loss and
trauma.
In its implementation, the project uses a
comprehensive approach to care and relies on a
network that brings together state authorities,
civil society organisations, businesses and mem-
bers of the community. A combination of public
and private funding contributes to a sense of
ownership on the part of the community.
I have had many good and many bad days. One of the
best days was when I went to Aryana Sayeed’s concert
in Helsinki. It was great for me to see a female Afghan
artist. The fact that she is successful and as a woman has
the chance to give a concert here was very joyful for me.
It was very important and nice for me to meet her and
see that all kinds of opportunities exist. … And the other
thing [that I like about living in Finland] is peace. It is
safe here. There is no war. Life is good.
accessing basic education. Local health services
have introduced special arrangements to
accommodate the needs of unaccompanied and
separated children and adolescents. The city of
Espoo supports the continuity of care 4 , which is
important in integrating young people, provides
training 5 for project staff and cooperates with
the project staff to further develop its services
for refugees. In both locations, the project also
has established cooperation with schools and
draws on corporate partnerships to facilitate
youth employment.
In addition to providing direct services to
children, the project advocates for equal rights
and quality services for all children in Finland,
regardless of their migration status. In that
regard, SOS Children’s Villages Finl