We are trained volunteers and we help other women who have moved to Finland in our areas and communities.
The help provided by the Neighbourhood Mothers is advice, support and sharing information in an understandable form in the mother tongue of the person being supported. The Neighbourhood Mothers aim to offer peer support and reliable information, direct individuals to relevant services, strengthen the social connections of migrant women, and assist them in finding meaningful activities within their area.
Who can a Neighbourhood Mother help?
Neighbourhood Mothers can support any woman who has moved to Finland and needs peer support and information about Finnish society in her mother tongue. Neighbourhood Mothers are available to support any woman who has recently moved to Finland and needs peer guidance and information about Finnish society in her first language. They meet women in need of assistance through their personal networks and local communities. Requests for help often come from maternal health clinics, social workers, and other organizations. The need for support typically arises from isolation, a lack of social connections, or insufficient understanding of local services and Finnish society.
The Neighbourhood Mother can act as a link between the woman who has moved to Finland and the service system. She can increase understanding between individual and professional and break down barriers caused by language.
Examples of the helping work
Neighbourhood Mothers have provided guidance and advice on social services and issues such as health, work, immigration, housing and freetime activities. They have also been asked for advice on everyday matters, such as how to use the laundry room or how to get a bus card!
How can I get in touch with a Neighbourhood Mother?
Do you need the support of a Neighbourhood Mother or are you looking for a Neighbourhood Mother for a client or acquaintance? There are currently Neighbourhood Mothers offering support in Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, Lappeenranta and Imatra. Contact is made through the Neighbourhood Mothers regional coordinators. Contact details can be found here. Feel free to get in touch!
If you are a social worker (or counsellor) and your client could benefit from the support offered by a Neighbourhood Mother, please get in touch using the form on this page.
The support provided by a Neighbourhood Mother is not
- service or social counselling, and the support provided by a Neighbourhood Mother can not replace the contact with a social counsellor or social worker, for example.
- Neighbourhood Mothers do not fill in official documents or applications, such as applications to Kela or the Unemployment Office. However, volunteers can provide information and refer to the right services.
A reply will be answered within two weeks. Note: The support provided by Neighbourhood Mothers is not intended for urgent support or acute crisis situations.
Other sources of help
Here you can find information about other sources of help.
- Emergency number 112. Contact if there is an emergency, accident, danger to life or other serious concern.
- Medical help (päivystysapu) 116117. In the medical help hotline, health professionals will tell you if your situation requires a visit to a health emergency (päivystys).
- The helpline number for the Crisis Centre Monika is 0800 05058. If you have experienced violence or threats of violence, you can get support from Crisis Centre Monika. Read more here. (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.)