Think Africa

11/06/2026

No Mökki/Cabin plans for Juhannus (Midsummer)? We've got you covered! ☀️🔥👇

Join Think Africa's Grill & Chill on June 20th for a relaxed outdoor BBQ and community gathering. Whether you're spending Midsummer away from family, looking to meet new people, or simply want to enjoy the holiday in good company, this event is for you!

Bring your favorite food and drinks, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, and celebrate Juhannus with friends, family, and the Think Africa community.

‼️ Important details:

😎 Sign up via this link: https://forms.gle/7BXfpbSqPG3wUEAy6 so we know how many people to expect and can contact you in case of any changes.

😎 Feel free to bring your friends and family – everyone is welcome! This is also a child-friendly event.

📍 Location:
Pirttimäki Outdoor Recreation Area
Kunnarlantie 110, 02740 Espoo

☀️ Time:
Saturday, June 20, at 12:00–17:00

🎉 Come celebrate Midsummer, make new connections

09/06/2026

Meet our two new Board members! 📣

Following the May 23rd Spring General Meeting, Anna Fatima and Neema were voted into the Think Africa Board of Directors (2026 - 2027).

They share a bit about themselves:

✨ Neema Komba (Board member): I am from Tanzania, and I have been in Finland since 2019. For my day job, I am a doctoral researcher in Entrepreneurship at Hanken School of Economics, interested in responsible entrepreneurship and curious about institutions, corruption, intersectionality, and sustainability, especially in the African context.

I am also a poet and a writer, with work in various genres of literature. My academic and creative work has been published in various outlets and has even earned some recognition from various global organisations. As a creative who considers themselves a global citizen, I hope to use my talents to further Think Africa’s mission, and to work together with everyone to support our members and the African diaspora in particular, to find opportunities to fully explore and express their creativity in ways that give them meaning and visibility in Finland and beyond.

✨ Anna Fatima Sambou (Treasurer): I am a social entrepreneur, technology enthusiast, and community leader with a passion for creating innovative solutions that improve people’s lives. I am the Founder & CEO of MunKamu Oy, a Finland-based company dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of older adults through companionship, cultural engagement, and meaningful social connections.

I joined the Think Africa Board because I believe in the power of collaboration, inclusion, and community empowerment. Think Africa provides an important platform for connecting people, supporting personal and professional growth, and promoting multicultural dialogue.

As a board member, I hope to contribute my experience in leadership, project development, strategic partnerships, technology, and community engagement to support the organization’s growth and impact. I look forward to helping create opportunities that empower individuals, strengthen networks, and inspire the next generation of leaders.

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We wish them all the best 🙌
🛎️ Follow us for more updates from Think Africa

05/06/2026

Last Tuesday Think Africa had the honor to participate in a round table meeting bringing immigrant associations and politicians of the City of Espoo to talk on ways to bring improvement around matters of local social exclusion and inclusion.

The meeting addressed especially the following matters:
➡️ Segregation in public primary and secondary education in Espoo, very particularly the way S2 education (Finnish for non native kids and teenagers) is implemented.
➡️ The importance of available and accessible hobbies for youths of all backgrounds
➡️ The challenges faced by many immigrant women such as isolation (sometimes self imposed) and sometimes for example due to patriarchal/male dominated control e.g. by their partners.
➡️ The need to accept and cater for the fact that different collectives have different needs which can be seen as reasonable (the limits of the one fit all principle), for example in regards to some public services, not just due to religious background as it is often quoted but from a cultural background perspective.
➡️ The persistence of prejudices, discrimination and double standards and its consequences.
➡️ The pros and cons of population segregation by municipality areas as referred to by the diverse voices present in the meeting.

Think Africa was represented in the meeting by Board member Roberto Blanco Raitasuo and member Benedicta Omokaro.

The meeting included five other associations and local Espoo politicians representing the three main parties of Espoo: Kokoomus/National Coalition, SDP/Social Democrats, and The Greens.

This meeting was led by Raakel Kumpunen who also facilitates the recently created Moniheli - Network of Multicultural Associations Advocacy group which had its first meeting this spring. The advocacy group brings together Moniheli's member associations to coordinate and take common action to influence developments on matters concerning minorities and immigrant groups.

Follow us for updates on the Advocacy work for better representation, participation and inclusion. Join us as a Member to contribute to driving for the change we want to see!

04/06/2026

🤔 Three mistakes that you might be making in your CV!

Over the five years of running Think Career, we have had many recruiters in the programme give us and the participants a few insights to help us avoid some mistakes when preparing our CVs.

We share a few tips with you today:

💥 Tip 1
Ensure that the skills you list in your skills list appear in your experience. How else can a recruiter believe that you have experience from the skills you listed!

💥Tip 2
Use similar keywords in your CV as the job Ad. If the Ad is looking for someone with python, full-stack, etc ... ensure these appear in your skills list and experience. A recruiter has just a few seconds to screen whether a CV is suitable for the role.

💥Tip 3
This is an old one but worth repeating as we see CVs still with this. Find a way to quantify your experience. How can recruiters know that what you did was well done or achieved something, or that it is better than another candidate who has done the same tasks.

✍️ Follow us for more tips and information

02/06/2026

Last week's Career Bootcamp in collaboration with brought together many internationals to learn from each other.

Everyone who attended said they learned something new, even those already ahead on their AI journey.

We learned how to be more efficient with Skills.
We learned how to build our professional context for AI to better support us and hallucinate less.
We went through how it can help us prepare for interviews.
And many more things.

We even learned how AI can help us create an online Portfolio in a matter of minutes.

In the end, all the participants had a strong foundation to build on.

✍️Follow us more lived experiences, insights, and tips.

26/05/2026

What is ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ?

A warm welcome to the May Lounge where we will explore and discuss this topic. Join us on Zoom at 6pm: http://us02web.zoom.us/j/87403322859?pwd=uQRTnVb3RcdktaF0j4ryOHXNp57lqe.1

At the Think Africa Lounge, we come together every month to make new friends, share news, and learn more about something RELEVANT and PRACTICAL for our life in Finland.

Follow us for updates and looking forward to your contributions on the topics to host 🫶

21/05/2026

ADHD: a Hype, a Curse, or a Superpower?

AGENDA
What is ADHD? Who is affected and how to help? Why are so many women left undiagnosed? How can YOU communicate with people who have ADHD efficiently?

Join our next online Think Africa LOUNGE session and let’s explore this important topic together. If you have a restless child that you are concerned about or a chronically unorganised friend (partner/ colleague/ employee), this info might be what you need. If not - join anyway, because ADHD can look asymptomatic until mid-life and later, so knowledge is the key!

After the session, you will learn:
+ which Finnish organisations provide free info-support and practical help
+ how a potentially ADHD person in your life can get diagnosed
+ where to find peer support

Date: May 27 (Wed), 18:00-19:30

Online: ZOOM LINK -> http://us02web.zoom.us/j/87403322859?pwd=uQRTnVb3RcdktaF0j4ryOHXNp57lqe.1

Privacy: anonymous, any photo/video - strictly by consent

&&&Lounge

20/05/2026

Happening this Week! In celebration of Africa Day 2026

AFRICA WEEK FINLAND 2026 - QUICK PROGRAMME

MON 18 MAY - African Voices
Time: 13.00 - 16.00, registration from 12.30
Venue: Think Company Viikki, Latokartanonkaari 3, Helsinki
Type: Moderated discussions on employment, integration, families and partnerships.

TUE 19 MAY - African Cooking Workshop for Youth
Time: 16.00 -19.00
Venue: Saladmaster Finland, Retkeilijänkatu 7 B 1, Helsinki
Type: Cooking workshop for young people.

THU 21 MAY - Anti Racism, Exclusion & AI in Social Work
Time: 11.00 - 14.00
Venue: AFAES Office, Pulttitie 16 A 32, Helsinki
Type: Training for social workers and NGO professionals.

THU 21 MAY - Integration and Multiculturalism
Time: 17.00 - 19.00
Venue: International School of Vantaa, Hagelstamintie 1, Vantaa
Type: Moroccan roundtable discussion on integration and intercultural dialogue.

FRI 22 MAY - Networking & Collaboration Workshop for African Women
Time: 16.00 - 20.00
Venue: AFAES Office, Pulttitie 16 A 32, Helsinki
Type: Networking and collaboration workshop for African women.

SAT 23 MAY - Tastes That Unite
Time: 10.00, 14.00 and 18.00 workshops
Venue: Kokvrån, Iso Roobertinkatu 23, Helsinki
Type: African and Finland-Swedish cooking workshops.

SAT 23 MAY - Youth & Parent Engagement Day
Time: 15.00 -18.00
Venue: Ruoholahti Youth House, Messitytönkatu 4, Helsinki
Type: Community dialogue on young people’s future.

MON 25 MAY - Africa Day Celebration
Time: from 17.00 - 21.00
Venue: Museum of Technology, Energy Hall, Viikintie 1 B, Helsinki
Type: Invitation-only Africa Day celebration with speeches, performances, fashion and food.

19/05/2026

This Spring, five students from the Hanken School of Economics embarked on a research project with Think Africa as part of their Social Responsibility course. The study aimed at looking at Corporate Partnerships as alternative funding models for building financial sustainability in Diaspora-Led organisations.

The students carried out a qualitative research that combined semi-structured interviews of four Finnish companies in different industries, two interviews with experts in the Finnish development cooperation and migration research fields, and lastly a short questionnaire. Data was analysed through three-step thematic process and discussed with supporting literature on non-profit financial sustainability, hybrid organisations, public/private partnerships, and diaspora.

The findings suggest that Finnish companies are open to NGO collaboration but approach it as they would any other commercial collaboration, putting emphasis on:
✔️ clarity,
✔️measurability,
✔️strategic viability, and
✔️proof of delivery.

The study introduces the concept of a value perception gap to describe the difference between the value created by NGOs and value recognised by companies. The study revealed the need for NGOs to adopt a more business thinking approach and use language to bridge this gap.

The final report develops a partnership blueprint that elaborates on how Think Africa could approach companies for a possible partnership by structuring their capability into a structured and business relevant offering.

A big thank you to the students, for the study, insights, and recommendations.
-Lina-Lotta Lundström
-Aisha Salah
-Remo Bastioni
-Eva Taube
-Hugo Keto

Also many thanks goes to Sofia Achame-Räisänen and Dr. Myriam Munezero for supporting the students during their study 🙌

Follow us as we share more lessons learned from the study!

06/05/2026

📣Taking place this Saturday

Welcome to Children's Story and Crafts at Itäkeskus library, 9th May at 11:00

What if a colouring book could show children joy, family, and community in African settings?

Welcome to enjoy Children's Storytime with The Joy We Bring, a Think Africa Storytelling and Colouring Book, as well as engaging activities for children such as crafting bookmarks.

Through storytelling and vibrant illustrations, the book explores where joy comes from: family, community, music, play, and shared moments.

Welcome to Itäkeskus on 9th May at 11:00 to see a sneak peek of the book, hear from Sunday who created it, and maybe even get a copy for yourself and the children in your life.

See you on Saturday!