Strength from Syrian friends – a volunteer's story

"When I heard about the reopening of the Ruukki reception centre this summer, I was overjoyed! When the reception centre was closed in autumn 2014, our activities at the centre, which had got off to a great start, came to an end, and many residents who had already become friends had to move to reception centres in other localities. That was sad.

Even before being active in the Red Cross, I was interested in different cultures and people. Both a Vietnamese and a Sri Lankan home help have worked in my home, and in winter 2013 I started attending Kansojen kattaus (A Feast of Nations) evenings held in Ruukki. I wanted to get to know immigrants, and cooking is something that brings people together. At these evenings, I boldly approached people from the reception centre and through that gained several relationships that are still going strong. There I also had my first contact with Red Cross activities.

Since then, I have been broadly and actively involved in multicultural activities both in the Siikajoki branch and in the larger Oulu branch. In the Siikajoki branch, a few active volunteers work alongside me. The Syrian quota refugees who moved to the municipality last autumn have brought energy and new members to our branch's activities. New friends and interesting matters close to my heart give strength to my life. For me, volunteer work is an enormously important pastime that has enriched my life in many different ways."

An unprecedented amount of donations

"The village of Ruukki in Siikajoki has a few thousand inhabitants, so asylum seekers are clearly visible in the street scene. In my view, the attitude towards all immigrants is very negative in Siikajoki and especially in the village of Ruukki, where I live and where the reception centre is located. The reopened reception centre did not please everyone, and as the person responsible for multicultural activities in our branch, I have received a few angry messages from local residents. I feel that the attitude of the local residents has become more negative the more newcomers – especially young men – have arrived in our municipality.

At the same time, however, I have been delighted by people's willingness to donate items to the reception centre residents. Donations have come in unprecedented amounts. With the opening of the new reception centre, we have also gained new volunteers for our branch. Once autumn progresses and the situation at the reception centre settles down, we will begin planning activities for the centre's residents in cooperation with its staff. I believe that we will get many new volunteers to join our activities.

Last autumn, quota refugee families from Syria arrived in our municipality. I was myself very actively involved in integration activities from the very beginning; I was also at the airport to welcome some of the families. I established an international club to support the integration of the Syrians. The club continues to this day, and in addition to the Syrians, new asylum seekers have also found their way to it. It has been extremely interesting and rewarding! The children also enjoy being involved, so it is a shared hobby for us too.

The joy and caring of the people involved is such a great source of positive energy that it makes organising the activities enjoyable, even if it sometimes feels a bit hectic. If only people understood what an impact the experience of feeling needed and useful has on all of us – asylum seekers and everyone else alike!

I feel a great joy in my heart that I have been able to build a very trusting relationship with the Syrian quota refugees and that I always feel welcome among them. Last week, a pregnant Syrian woman told me that she wanted me to come along to support her during her delivery. It was a touching announcement. I had once before been a support during childbirth for a mother who lived at the reception centre, at her own request. The experience was so incredible that I immediately agreed to this new request too!"

– Marita Terho, board member of the Siikajoki branch and person responsible for multicultural activities

Ruukki Reception Centre

• Closed in autumn 2014, reopened in summer 2015
• Originally a 150-place centre, now a 250-place centre
• Both families and young men live in the centre
• In Siikajoki, there are also Syrian quota refugees, among others

Activities of the Siikajoki branch:

• Before the closure, the Siikajoki branch organised, among other things, a first aid club for adults and a simultaneous children's club for children at the reception centre
• Once a month, Kansojen kattaus (A Feast of Nations) international food evenings were held
• Branch members visited the reception centre to sort and organise donated items
• Various camps; in summer 2014, for example, a multicultural family camp day in nature, which received a lot of positive feedback
• Soon the branch will start planning activities again together with the reception centre
• Currently, activities include identifying the needs of the reception centre and informing the public
• An international club for quota refugees; now also attended by asylum seekers