MaaKoto - Immigrants’ Integration Project - Lappajärvi Finland

Aino Alppinen

March 20, 2017

St. Johann in Tirol, Austria

Lappajärvi

Lappajärvi in a nutshell About 3000 inhabitants,

35 % over 65 Young people move away

Unemployment rate about 8 % Foreigners 3,3 %

Economical structure

•Agriculture 20 % •Production 21 %

•Services 57 % (health care, schools, municipality personnel etc.)

Reception center from Oct 2015 to Aug 2016

Lappajärvi decided to accept 30 refugees as new inhabitants in the municipality.

> MaaKoto integration project started May 2016 and continues until Nov 2017

The aim of the project ”…help immigrants to integrate in the

community, feel as a part of it and find a job.

A part of the project was to find out the competence areas of persons staying at the reception center and find job opportunities at the area.”

Build a concept how to integrate

refugees to a rural area.

How to design an integration concept for rural areas

Moving to Lappajärvi:

- Refugees

- Students

- New job

- Getting married with a Finn

Language, studies, job, apartment, how to use the municipality services

- Finding your place in the community.

Activities needed

Target groups

I interviewed refugees at the reception center

Activate the refugees On-the-Job-Learning-Contracts 1 – 6 months • health care, home care, nursery, elderly care home, home for mentally handicapped When the reception center was closed 30 persons stayed in Lappajärvi, 13 of them being able to work. 10 of these had some kind of work. Job is the best way to integrate a person!

We focus on the labor market integration of the refugees

Ahmed Abasi, tailor, 56, Afghanistan

Husam Zaboon, barber, 33, Iraq – needs work Husam volonteered at the local hospital. I made Direct marketing material to be distributed in the neighborhood and put on the shop’s notice boards.

Library Cafè Volonteers talk Finnish to refugees Sometimes we play games as Alias

Refugees are made visible

Publicity as a way to integrate, find job, make 2-way integration

to happen

Foto project as a way to integrate ”Lappajärvi with your eyes”

I owe everything the wonderful volunteers