Empowerment, Participation, and Advocacy
The year 2026 is a significant one for the Neighbourhood Mothers program: we are celebrating our 10-years journey. Since 2016, neighbourhood mothers have supported, strengthened, and helped to build a more inclusive and equitable Finnish society.
I have the privilege of being part of this wonderful story for already 2.5 years as the director of the program. However, the journey began with different people back in 2015. At that time, representatives from Nicehearts Association took a study trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, where they learned about the local Bydelsmødre model. In this interesting model, immigrant women themselves act as active builders of their communities and as information sharers. The aim was to bring this approach to Finland as well. The initiative launched in Finland in 2016, initially with support from the European Social Fund, and has since become established through funding from the Funding Centre for Social and Health Organizations (STEA). The Neighbourhood Mothers project grew into an operational model that remains an important part of the Finnish integration field to this day.
At the heart of the initiative is a single clear idea: immigrant women possess agency, skills, and resources that deserve to be made visible and put to use.
The Neighbourhood Mothers program is a framework that strengthens participation and builds agency. The framework consists of four elements: (1) The Neighbourhood Mothers’ training provides information about Finnish society and tools for volunteering, (2) Neighbourhood Mothers’ groups offer participants the opportunity to experience a sense of community and the growth of social networks, and (3) the one-on-one support provided by neighbourhood mothers offers assistance to women and families who have moved to Finland. In addition, neighbourhood mothers serve as a voice for immigrant women in, for example, decision-making in cities and wellbeing service counties, as well as in various research projects (4).
Strength Through Peer Support – From the Individual to the Community
For many participants, the Neighbourhood Mothers program begins with participating in a group activity: a safe space where everyone can be themselves, share experiences, and connect with others. These encounters foster trust, and that trust builds the courage to take action on their own.
Many neighbourhood mothers moved to Finland as adults. They know the challenges of integration: learning a new language, understanding the service system, and building social networks. Their personal experiences make the support they provide meaningful—they walk alongside others, open doors, and help others find prospects for the future.
Through the training, participants gain knowledge about topics such as well-being, social and health care services, human rights, racism and democracy and doing volunteer work. At the same time, their understanding of their own role in society is strengthened—not as outsiders, but as active participants.
Encounters, Activities, and Advocacy
Neighbourhood mothers organize groups, events, and gatherings across Finland—in Lappeenranta, Imatra, Joutseno, Espoo, Vantaa, Helsinki, and Pori. During this anniversary year, there are 22 regularly meeting groups as well as numerous pop-up events.
Cafés, open groups, information sessions, exercise groups, and book clubs are open to all women who have immigrated to the country. The activities are diverse, inclusive, and, above all, foster a sense of community. The Neighbourhood Mothers’ groups provide information, a sense of purpose, and joy.
Neighbourhood mothers also influence structures. Collaboration with cities, organizations, and research projects ensures that the voices of immigrant women are heard in service development and societal discourse.
Participating in the program has given many neighbourhood mothers the opportunity to network and showcase their own skills. This has helped numerous women to find employment as well as their way in Finnish society.
Resilience in the Face of Crisis
The past decade has also included challenging times: the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, and global uncertainty. More recently, social changes, racism, discrimination, and employment challenges have affected the daily lives of many. Building community, spreading joy, and staying active have served as a counterforce. Neigbourhood mothers do not wait for others to create opportunities for participation—they create them themselves.
Challenging situations have also made it clear just how strong, flexible, and vibrant the Neighbourhood Mothers’ community is. It provides a sense of security even when everything around it is changing. A team of six coordinates and supports neighbourhood mothers, helping them bring their ideas to life, connect with the right city representatives in their areas, and access the resources and motivation they need. All coordinators are neighbourhood mothers themselves—women who have moved to Finland and draw on both their lived experiences as migrants and their professional backgrounds to make the program possible.
Change is within us. And it continues!
In recent years, we have been developing our organizational structures to support our expanding model of operation: we have developed our group activities and expanded our training programs to provide more tools for doing volunteer work. The goal is clear: to further strengthen women’s opportunities to act, make a difference, and build society together. We have especially focused on developing group activities, as we believe that community spirit is one of the most important counterforces to apathy and powerlessness.
Neighborhood mothers are change-makers. They build bridges between people, reduce loneliness, strengthen inclusion, and make it clear that we are all building society together. Neighborhood mothers are a force in Finnish society, and we are here to stay.
Looking to the future
Our key message is this: immigrant women are a source of strength and a valuable resource, not passive recipients of assistance. When opportunities and structures are created, new ideas, innovations, and a sense of inclusion emerge.
In this anniversary year, we look back with gratitude and forward with hope. Thank you to everyone who has walked this journey with us: our employees, partners, and supporters. And above all—thank you, neighbourhood mothers. You have given your time, your expertise, and the warmth of your hearts. You have made change visible.
Writer:
Anni Susineva
The author works as the director of the Neighbourhood Mothers program at Nicehearts Association.