This is no isle of bliss

“The police is investigating a stabbing that took place at a Sininauhasäätiö facility for the homeless” (HS 13.7.2019)

“A big police operation in Töölö at Sininauhasäätiö facility for the homeless” (HS 14.11.2018)

“Drug abusing Sininauhasäätiö inhabitants cause trouble at Töölö library” (HS 18.7.2018)

The news are happy to tell what I think. Violence, crimes, drugs, bad behavior and big trouble. This is what I think when I hear the word Sininauhasäätiö. Our project with Sininauhasäätiö (a Finnish organization that works against homelessness) arises mixed feelings in me. I have a 15 year history in working at a second hand store located right next to Sininauhasäätiö unit in Vallila. During these years I met dozens of Sininauhasäätiö customers. Most encounters were neutral and I most likely met a huge bunch of their customers without realizing where they were coming from. But I also met so many people that threatened to kill me that I lost count. As the faces became familiar I learned to predict which people were bound to cause trouble.

Photo by Kallerna. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

So when my group member Katja suggested we’d ask Sininauhasäätiö if they’d be willing to let us plan and execute a project with their customers, I said yes, sounds terrific! When I was in my twenties I used to see myself as an open minded, tolerant people lover. Now I see the challenge. How can I admit this? How can I write a blog saying I, an educated Helsinki born left wing voter, 30-ish-year-old female, am actually prejudiced and narrow minded when it comes to Sininauhasäätiö customers?

This is no isle of bliss. In my ideal world, my isle of bliss I’d still be 20 and perfect. I expect and hope to be in the beginning of an educational journey here. People at Sininauhasäätiö, please prove me wrong. I need it.

https://www.hs.fi/paivanlehti/14112018/art-2000005898828.html
https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/art-2000006173309.html
https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/art-2000005760577.html

Suurin osa Showcasen blogeista on toteutettu osana Laurean opintojaksoja. Koko koulutustarjontaamme voi tutustua nettisivuillamme. Tarjoamme kymmenien tutkintoon johtavien koulutuksien lisäksi myös paljon täydennys- ja erikoistumiskoulutuksia sekä yksittäisiä opintojaksoja avoimen AMK:n kautta!

3 thoughts on “This is no isle of bliss”

  1. I like that you are honest about your opinion and I think you’re not the only person who thinks like this. It’s true that in the news we only hear about the bad things done by drug users and because of that many people think badly of them. I don’t think you’re close minded, especially if you are ready to change your opinion of them. I’m exited to hear more about your journey in Sininauhasäätiö and hope that you have a great experience there.

  2. Heavy drugs addiction, poverty and marginalization go hand in hand with crime, violence and bad behaviour, such as feeling threatened and afraid goes inevitably hand in hand with dislike and hostility. The first is a mechanism driven by mental effects of the drugs and the feeling that you are worthless and have nothing to lose, the second a mechanism of self-protection.

    Therefore, according to the circumstances you have described, your feelings seem to be understandable since the behaviour you had to deal with, is unfortunately, somehow inevitable.

    Allow me to disagree with you when you state that you are narrow minded when it comes to sininauhasäätiö customers, because if it was so, you wouldn’t expect and hope to be in the beginning of an educational journey. I am not sincerely expecting that those repressed feelings will go away completely “just like that”, after you guys have implemented this project. However, I believe you will be able to see the “other side of the coin” Katja as described in her post, and from that, open a door allowing you to build up your perception of these people with the help of the feelings of empathy that might come by sharing positive experiences with them.

    A shout out for your courage! 🙂

  3. Riina Rundqvist-Lehto

    I live in a family popular area, but some years ago our quiet, clean and nice area experienced something “dark” . Sininauhasäätiö established an housing unit to one of the high-rise buildings in our area. People in the area weren’t very happy about it. Some sold their apartment’s very quickly for any price they could get causing that the areas housing selling rates have decreased very much.
    So, yes Anne I understand you and your thoughts on Sininauhasäätiö’s client group. I hope to read more and grow with you into more understanding and broad-minded.

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