Making the Change – Square One

I arrived in Helsinki on fridayevening for the "Mental Health and Wellbeing – Focus on Homeless and Underprivileged Populations" –seminar weekend. As I arrived by the train I watched the sun setting after a rain and thought what a beautiful place the world is. I got off the train at Pasila station and straight away there was an untidy-looking man begging me to give him a few coins. As I looked around, I saw another one eating tuna from the can and spitting it out on the station floor and third one wandering aimlessly with faltering steps the station from end to end with a beer can in his hand. It was quite a contrast, one minute you admire the beauty of the world and the next you see all the misery and misfortune piled up to the few unfortunate. On the other hand it was a quite thought-provoking way to start the weekend that concerned human deprivation.

Our first day started with keynote lecture with Sakari Kainulainen who spoke of the Poverty in Welfare State. Sakari stressed out that poverty is not only economic deprivation but also lack of relations, narrowed human agency and lack of awerness of available services. Anyone can be at the risk of exclusion, also people who have had a good childhood without major problems.  Without the welfare state the level of poverty would be deeper so it is important that society supports the underprivileged groups but it is also crucial that the people take responsibility of their own will to make changes for the better. Our job as employees in the welfare sector is to bear out and to motivate these people to take their matters in their own hands.

According to mr. Kainulainen one of the main reasons leading to poverty is lack of social relations. According to studies people who experience loneliness also experiences poverty and deficiency more often than people who interact with other people and experience belonging. Loneliness in not only a feeling. It affects our social skills, our ability to communicate with other people, our coping skills and our skills to resolve conflicts. Recent incidents such as school shootings and radicalization in the Middle East show signs of the effect of loneliness to our mental health. As an outreach worker I have also noticed that many of the young adults I have supported and helped have major difficulties in social situations and outright panic when they have to deal with official matters such as applying for the economic support. They don't have many friends and if they do, the friendships are rarely based on mutual trust and respect that are usually perceived as basic elements of friendship. So the BIG question is, how can I help and motivate them to take the responsibility of their own welfare and obtain social capital that they need to be able to act as a normal citizen in this society? It is the very core of my work but it has to start with the clients even the tiniest wish for a change.

 

Who am I? 

I am Henna Pulkkinen and I work as an outreach youth worker among marginalized youth in Central Finland. I am completing my Master's Degree in Social Services at Diaconia University of Applied Sciences.

Used sources

Kainulainen, Sakari 2016. Poverty in Welfare State. Lecture: Mental Health and Wellbeing – Focus on Homeless and Underprivileged Populations –seminar 23.4.2016. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki.