A new round of mentoring has begun at Luckan’s mentoring programme FIKA. The programme pairs people who have moved to the capital region with volunteer mentors who are established in Finland. Together the two share experiences about working and living in Finland, practice Swedish or Finnish, discuss society and culture, socialise, and do whatever they find fun together.
During the first group kick-off event that FIKA has ever hosted in person, the new participants got to sit down with their own pair for the very first time and get to know them. Although it can feel nervous to commit to 6 months of meetings with a stranger, all pairs quickly noticed that they were paired for a reason, and had lots of things in common with their match. In the beginning of getting to know someone, it’s also easier when you have a mentorship agreement to support the conversation if you need it!
Overall, FIKA continues to create individual connections across cultural and linguistic difference. The warm atmosphere at the kick-off event was confirmed by participants who were excited not only to meet their pair, but also some of the other participants on the programme. And after two years of isolation, creating a sense of community is as important as ever.
Because FIKA has facilitated meetings online during most of the past two years, this round we again also welcome participants living elsewhere in Finland. To introduce these pairs, FIKA is also kicking off their mentor periods with a separate online kick-off event.
Keep an eye out for FIKA in the future if the programme sounds like something for you too! By signing up to Luckan Integration’s newsletter or following us on Facebook you will be the first to know when we open applications again in the fall.
If you are curious about how the programme works you can reach us by emailing .