The association has received project funding (North Savo citizen-driven development project call) from the South Savo ELY Centre for “At Home in Savo - Integration Project for Those Under Temporary Protection”. The project implementation period is 1st of October 2025
- 30th of November 2026. Two employees are working on the project.
The project's goals, ideas and planning of activities have come from those granted temporary protection themselves, and in the project they are active participants – not just targets of activities. The measures promote their activity, control of their own lives and community spirit. In addition to activities supporting employment, the project organises leisure activities, language cafés and psychological support peer groups for the target group, which promote integration.
The project will pilot target group-oriented and regular group activities and develop a new model of integration work. The “integration mentor” operating model will train and recruit Finns and immigrants who have already lived in Finland for a longer period of time to help people integrate, navigate more smoothly to appropriate and timely services, and become attached to the new country. Social inclusion will be strengthened throughout the project.
These are numbers and behind the numbers are the participants we met. It is easy to highlight numbers, although what the participants get from the project activities is much more important.
We find this out with the feedback we collect. Some of the participants may have been in Kuopio for a month, others for four years. Some need help with making appointments, others with many different things.
They want to learn Finnish and we often explain what different words mean. This is often not possible in Finnish and has to be done in their own language.
There has been a need for the project's activities and there would be more, but our project's resources are not enough to meet all the needs. But we are trying our best and want to involve you so that you can get help and support with integration.
