By Päivi Arvonen

Bashiru Yussif moved from Ghana to Finland in 2006 looking for a better life. He is happy in Helsinki and has finally found a job that he enjoys. But he is still looking for a home of his own. He misses his family, friends and the light of Africa.

Bashiru Yussif was trained as a welder in Ghana, but it was hard for him to find work that could support him in his home country. He worked for a while at a small workshop making tiles in Libya.

“Like many African countries, Ghana has a lot of problems, especially joblessness, and I wanted to find a better life,” Yussif explains.

He picked Finland mainly because of the safe and peaceful Finnish society. His also considered Greece and Lebanon.

Finns are difficult to approach

Yussif arrived in Finland in 2006. He first stayed at a reception centre in Kotka. He met a great deal of racism in the city.

“The atmosphere in Helsinki is much better than in Kotka,” Yussef says. “Finns are difficult to approach, because they don’t want to speak. If I have to ask something, say, for directions, I ask a woman rather than a man.”

He admits that his first negative experiences from communicating with Finns still have an effect on him and keep him from seeking contact with native Finns.

“It takes time to get to know Finns, but it’s not impossible. However, I have no Finnish friends, only Finnish colleagues.”

Finding work is a big challenge

Yussif feels that he is well adjusted in Finland. He is happy in Helsinki and has learned to live through the dark and cold periods, which are big challenges for an African born near the equator.

“The worst about Finland is not the climate but the difficulty to find work and a home of one’s own,” he says.

He has studied Finnish and passed the third level in his studies.

“I can manage with Finnish at work. But I understand the language better than I speak it, so I prefer to communicate in English.”

He has been an unemployed jobseeker and delivered newspapers.

“It’s really hard to find work. I have lots of friends who speak Finnish better than I do but can’t find a job.”

For the past year, Yussif has worked for PosiVire at a group home for mentally disabled, cleaning and assisting.

“I like my work. Any job is better than no job.”

A better quality of life with a home of one’s own

“Helsinki is a very good place to live, clean and safe. Dealings with the authorities work. But why doesn’t the City of Helsinki have more rental housing?” Yussif asks.

He dreams about a City rental apartment but still lives with friends as a subtenant.

“It’s very important for me, as it is for other immigrants, to do everything myself and look after myself. I wouldn’t want to rely on social security.”

Apart from cleanliness, he appreciates the safety of Helsinki.

“There is very little crime in Helsinki. The health care system is magnificent, and the Finnish school system is one of the best in the world. I’d like to apply for Finnish citizenship, as long as I have work here.”

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