About underpriviledged and asylum seekers

Norddiakonia intensive course is no completed for us Diak master degree students. we participated only for Saturday to Sunday 23-24.4 And after travelling about thousand kilometers there is couple of ideas about past course. I really think that we had gathered to discuss about ver important subject as well being of underpriviledged. For really good discussion we woud have needed much more time.

In welfare states like Finland about 80 to 85 per cent of citizens are doing well. We could think that it is good number because only 15-20 per cent isn't doing well. But every person who isn't doing well is too much. Well being shoud right for all of us. What could we do more? I don't have answers, only questions like that. Many cities and organizations are doing good job, without them, things could be worse. Good exampe is Kurvi addiction treatment service where I and some other participants visited. It gives drug treatment for addiction. We were told that they really see there stories of success, there are time to time people who can win their addiction. It was great too see that it was not only about drug treatment but they saw persons as a whole and they had many differnce services there like doctor, needle exchange, help for social and financial problems also. And Kurvi also gives clients community where they can belong.

Me all this made think my own work as youth leader in church. I think we could do more to find those families who might have many different kind of problems and find good ways to work with them.

We were talking also about asylum seekers. People are talking that too many of them is coming to Finland. Last year we had peak about 30 000. Yesterday I realized that it really is not big amount. While doing group work, one Swedish teacher told us, that in Sweden came last year 160 000 and they really has problem because many asylum seeekers can't find th place to sleep so they sleep on the streets. I  am not sure but I think it was our arc bishop Kari Mäkinen who gave good reminder for us. We are talking about refugee crisis, but it is not here the crisis, it is in these countries where is imbossible to live safe life.

Who am I?

My name is Tomi Hakkarainen and I study master degree in Diaconia University of Applied Science in Helsinki. Now I have study break from my work but after studies I carrie on working with Children about age 7-15 year old and with their families. I am working at Finnish Evangelic-Lutheran parish in Vaasa.