Mahsa Khoshnejad's Story

Story #22

​My journey into a multicultural environment began 13 years ago when I moved from Shiraz, Iran, to the Aalto University campus in Espoo. On the campus, I had the chance to share meals and celebrate various traditions and cultures. Later on, I entered into a multicultural family. My husband has two Finnish-English children, which adds another layer to our multicultural experience. Food has become an important part of our identity as we mix different traditions. We celebrate Nowruz, a Persian New Year tradition, with a spread of delicious dishes. Likewise, Christmas has the satisfying flavours of Finnish and English cuisine, bringing a mix of cultures to our table. 

​Like any other story, this is the bright side. But what about the real challenges? Yes, I did suffer from the darkness until I learnt that I could light my house with Christmas lights and candles – and of course to take vitamin D. I realized that I need more friends; but how could I enter the Finnish community without knowing the language?!

Still, I don’t know how! 😀 Honestly everyone speaks very good English around here.  

​I did suffer when searching for a job related to my degree in Art, until I learnt that I can do other things and learn new skills. Then I knocked on the door of a play school, and I asked if I could work there; and yes, I got a job (without sending my CV) and ended up working there for 12 years. 

​Thanks to the Finnish education system, they educated me during my work. Over the years, I worked with children of between three and seven years of age. My most recent year at day-care was spent working with toddlers, which brought me a lot of joy! I enjoyed engaging in art and craft activities with the children, finally using my degree in Art. But all this time, I worked in an English playschool and now I need to face my fear – learning the Finnish language 😀. I’ve postponed it all these years and now it’s the time, since I'm studying Social Services and, for my future job, it will be necessary to know Finnish.

​Last year, through my classmate, I became familiar with Familia! I started following them on social media and I registered for various workshops and the training they offer. In “Duo job hunting,” which was a peer support group gathering immigrants together, we learnt different skills such as how to search for jobs and how to present ourselves in interviews. We learnt that searching for a job is not just about sending your CV, you need to make phone calls or go to companies and ask for face-to-face meetings. I wish I had known these kinds of NGOs and organizations earlier. Anyway, it’s never too late.  

​My involvement with Familia is providing an opportunity to participate this autumn in training called “Expert by Experience”. These experts promote the well-being of intercultural families by sharing their experiences in peer groups, training, seminars or in collaboration with the media. I will be able to raise awareness based on my own experiences and helping others who share the same experience. I am looking forward to doing that! 

If you are interested in becoming an Expert by Experience, or want to know more about this click here or contact Hanna Kinnunen

Editor: yvette ahonen