Improving our lives in Finland – Anthony-Claret Onwutalobi

Improving our lives in Finland – A Talk at the launching of Pastor Morris Isiguzo CD Album

1. Orientation

Any African arriving in Finland must ensure the successful African immigrants in Finland properly orient him. Do not take advice from just anybody you meet on the road. Always ensure that you process and reason whatever advice you get on the street to avoid making a mistake. Immediately you settle, you must seek for the Integration plans available for you.  

1. 1. Integration plans –
   2. Importance of language skills
   3. Resident Permit
2. Avenues to get a job
   1. Entrepreneurship
   2. Join/ Build Networks with professionals
3. Community building
   1. Representation (poorly represented)
   2. Without proper representation, we will not get anywhere.
   3. Support whoever comes out to represent us
   4. Patronize your brothers in their business
   5. Promote one another
   6. Help one another whenever it is possible, if you find a job opportunity or anything that will benefit the next brother … don’t hesitate.
   7. We must stop stabbing ourselves in the back and start helping one another up.
   8. Those among us who are gifted entrepreneurs can employ some of our gurus as interns, if not on full employment.
   9. We can discuss with fellow brothers about starting up a business here in Finland. We can make things happen together!
   10. Those who are gifted at teaching can help others out in learning new stuff or in preparing for certain certification exams.
   11. Those who have good enough jobs can recommend another brother for open job positions. Let us be relevant in the lives of one another.
4. Improving our lives in Finland
   1. Go for vocation studies (plumbing, Hospitality management, cooks, mechanics, practical nurse, engineering, bus driving.
   2. Go to university and get more degrees and
   3. Be an entrepreneur

– Will your skills be relevant elsewhere outside Finland?
– If Finland will ask you to leave the country today, what will be left of you? What do you have to call ‘strength’ or knowledge that can take you places, if you were to find yourself back in your home country now? What impact can you make?

Case scenarios

• An African guy working in IT, among the recruiting team that never wants to get another African
• A guy that came to greet two Finnish guys and ignore his African brother