I made it here and I’m so happy!
Faye is a Filipino nurse who has been working in Dubai for the past few years. Now she has just arrived in Finland. She decided to apply for an assistant nurse position in Finland because she has her eyes on the future, and in Finland the future looks brighter.
“I heard how it’s like from my colleagues who were already in Finland. They told me the work life balance in Finland is much better than for example in Dubai. There it took me 12 hours to get to the workplace, to do my shift and then come back home. In addition, even though there are taxes to pay in Finland, there are many benefits especially for people like me, who want to bring their families here. For example, my children can have free education. But the work life balance is the biggest reason, why I wanted to come to work in Finland.”
The Silkroad process includes learning Finnish language. It’s important because the nurses need to be able to serve and understand the patients. It’s also for the safety of the patients. But it’s beneficial for integrating to the society, too.
“The language training was well organized. There is a book to follow, and it made the learning process easier. The one-on-one meetings with the teacher helped, but the most beneficial thing was to organize our own study group, because the members of the group were giving feedback and telling if you are saying something wrong.
The process was delayed for me because I had to go to a surgery. But it was possible to switch groups, and it was well organized. From the latest group I found 4 people who wanted to study as a group, and we did for example video calls where we did the tasks together. We built friendships, and that made the learning easier even though the language is hard. We are even planning to continue the group studies here in Finland.”
The process usually lasts from 6 to 12 months, depending how fast one learns the language and how high the language level needs to be in the position where one starts working. Throughout the process Silkroad is letting the participants know what is going to happen next and how it happens.
“I didn’t expect anyone to be there in the arrival day to help me with buying cleaning supplies and groceries, taking me to my apartment and my workplace. Everybody has been really helpful, and it has been a smooth process, especially in the pre-departuring time.”
After a long travel and local orientation, the feeling can be a bit overwhelmed. There are also some things that might surprise when moving to Finland. That’s why we have a support group which is reachable after arriving in Finland.
“I feel so glad and happy, but I really didn’t expect it to be so cold in here. Luckily, I was told to bring warm clothes. I really like it here, it’s very different from where I came from. In Dubai I only saw buildings around me. In Finland, there’s a lot more space. Even though it’s winter, I can see it’s going to be beautiful in the summer! I’m looking forward to the sun, the trees and all. I think my family is going to love this country!”
Finland has a lot to offer. In the wintertime, one can ski or skate, swim in the hole in the ice, enjoy snow, visit the northern parts of Finland, and even see the northern lights. In the summer our nature is showing it’s best with thousands of lakes to swim in, many forests to enjoy, and the nights when the sun doesn’t really go down at all.
Finland has a lot to offer. In the wintertime, one can ski or skate, swim in the hole in the ice, enjoy snow, visit the northern parts of Finland, and even see the northern lights. In the summer our nature is showing it’s best with thousands of lakes to swim in, many forests to enjoy, and the nights when the sun doesn’t really go down at all.
“Northern lights are definitely something I want to see. And I would like to experience the Finnish Christmas and visit Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.“
This process of learning a new language and moving to a foreign country is a lifechanging experience, but surely worthy. Even after the process that took over 6 months and a long flight, the feeling of actually being in Finland is amazing.
“I made it here and I’m so happy!”
