Hyvärilä's international youth work is based on responsibility themes

Hyvärilä’s activities cover the themes of environmental, social and cultural responsibility. The activities aim to increase individuals’ understanding of what everyone can do for nature and the community and to restore nature. For example, in Nurmes, a lot of loneliness has been identified, which the aim is to reduce through activities. Activities related to the environment and social needs are linked to each other, but also to cultural themes, as traditions are also cherished and different cultures are introduced.

In terms of the environment, the most visible project in the operation has been the establishment of a traditional meadow in the Hyvärilä area. The Rural Education Association provided expertise on how to restore traditional plants to an area filled with dandelions and invasive species. The project resulted in the Summer Talkoot camp, which takes place in July and brings about a dozen young people to Nurmes each year to learn about biodiversity.

The meadow offers a concrete example for young people to see how human activity affects nature. Over the years, the soil in the area being cultivated in Hyvärilä has been depleted to make it suitable for Finnish meadow plants, and this year the meadow is already full of life, including the soundscape. Mosquitoes buzz in the meadow, and mice and frogs can be seen among the plants. The meadow works like traditional meadows, giving birth to life and showing the diversity of nature in practice. The meadow also introduces young people to the importance of insects. The young people have made insect hotels to learn how city dwellers can also do small things for nature.

I gained more knowledge and tools to work on future projects, and I have already had opportunities to use these. I am still in touch with others.

– Young person who participated in the activity

A key activity of international youth work is cooperation with local schools and other actors. In Nurmes, there are few natural encounters between different cultures, so cooperation also increases the knowledge and tolerance of local young people towards different cultures. Young people participating in the camps also meet elderly people living in Nurmeskodi or participating in other activities, as well as the clientele of Näre ry, which works with the unemployed. Volunteers plan and implement free, low-threshold activities to which everyone is welcome. At the events, people meet, eat and everyone learns from each other.

Joint events and moments offer different cultural experiences. The food is one of the main ones, as the young people participating in the camps prepare dishes from their own culture and everyone gets to taste them. In addition, they learn about Finnish craft traditions and the older people get to share their lessons in this field. Even the lack of a common language does not prevent encounters and activities. For example, in the meadow work, local ”grandfather” Martti Pellikka has become an important person for many young people, who, without knowing English, guides them on how to sharpen and use a scythe, among other things.

Overall, young people learn about the importance of community and individual responsibility and impact on the whole through the activity.

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