Volunteering at its simplest is “giving your time for free for a good cause” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2021), but what are the different reasons behind it? Naturally there are as many reasons as there are volunteers, but the common denominator seems to be the sense of meaning, the cause. As we volunteer, we choose to do something that has a meaning for us. Some volunteer to give back to society, in order to have more me-time or to be inspired by new experiences. Others volunteer because they are looking to develop themselves or to find a sense of belonging and to connect to others in a similar situation. Volunteering is also an easy way of getting to know like-minded people and can for example help settling in a new city or even a new country. And this is the case also at Mothers in Business - a network built and maintained by active moms!
Who is MiB International? Meet Simba, AnaMaria and Rabea!
Maybe you’ve already heard of MiB International, attended an event or seen some communications in English on MiB’s social media? We are a group of international and internationally-minded Finnish moms, driven by the shared passion of developing MiB’s English-language activities open to anyone interested! This amazing group of women is behind the MiB International project that started as a pilot in 2020 and kicked off in its STEA-funded form this fall, supported by the project staff at the MiB Helsinki office. This if anything shows the determination of our amazing volunteers, they are here to make a change!
We are proud to introduce three of our international volunteers. We asked them how they became actives at MiB and what are the key reasons for them personally to do volunteer work. We also wanted to hear what has been the best thing about volunteering at MiB and what they have gained during their time at MiB. Meet Simba, AnaMaria and Rabea!
“We share our talents, our day - the joys and the pains -, our kids’ tantrums and our own feelings of inadequacy and shame in a judgement-free environment”
Simba: lives in Turku with her 8 year old son who is half Finnish-half Brazilian. Simba works at IKEA, but is studying to become a personal trainer, and also started studying for a Master's in Community Education at the open polytechnic. She is into languages, sports, amateur theatre and music.
“I started volunteering at MiB in April 2020. I was on a study leave and felt like I wanted to widen my network while considering a professional change. The pandemic changed a lot of things and forced activities into a digital form, but this was something I was already quite familiar with due to studies and work. Therefore, it was quite natural to start organising virtual events, and eventually join MiB International to support their digital journey, and join the cause of more internationally family friendly working life.
Being a part of and working for a community has always been important to me, and I’ve been volunteering since I was a teenager. I love connecting with other people and having meaningful encounters. Having a supportive network is truly inspiring and healing in today’s hectic society, and it’s so meaningful to be able to practise and hone your professional skills while making a difference - not to mention new friends. The best thing about volunteering in MiB has been the people. I’ve got to know so many wonderful and talented individuals, and engaged into numerous empowering conversations. We share our talents, our day -the joys and the pains-, our kids’ tantrums and our own feelings of inadequacy and shame in a judgement-free environment. Amazing events held with messy hair and a nursing bra because it does not demean our professionalism. Insightful discourses heard even though interrupted by a toddler 27 times. We share understanding and support, we are mothers. And yet, foremost we are women with our own desires and dreams, far from perfect, because perfection is boring. MiB moms are amazing and unique. So, these have been the most meaningful lessons for me.”
“I even co-hosted an event, it was a great experience and took me out of my comfort zone in terms of presenting.”
AnaMaria: mom for 2 boys (16 & 10 years old), a mechanical engineer and MBA, works as a project manager. She is a sociable person and loves meeting with friends. AnaMaria’s main hobby is learning (handicraft, sports or work-related stuff) but she also meditates and loves high adrenaline activities. She has a purple belt in karate and trains with the whole family.
“In August-September 2020 I heard about MiB International and joined their recruiting event. I loved the idea of a community to support mothers and specially professional international mothers to balance work-life. The idea of having networking events and other events to support our careers but also have events to support us as parents and our own well-being really talked to me. I was missing something like this. I think being part of this community has been great and love the idea that I can also support other international moms in finding their way in Finland.
The best thing about volunteering has been the opportunity to meet an amazing group of ladies, Finnish and foreigners, who dedicated their time and effort to put together the MiB international project while working together to help moms. I have seen the dedication of many of them and it is inspiring. I have also had the opportunity to participate in many great events and even arranged a couple with other volunteers. I even co-hosted an event, it was a great experience and took me out of my comfort zone in terms of presenting. There are many opportunities to grow professionally and personally being a volunteer.”
“For me, this is a way of giving back, using and enhancing my skills and having fun while actually contributing positively to society”
Rabea: 33 years old, mother of two and eager to make the world a better place!
“When MiB International started recruiting actives for the project in August 2020, we were about half a year into the pandemic and I was looking for more me-time and a purpose so I signed up for the getting-to-know-MiB session and I was thrilled to hear about the objectives and ambitious goals of the project. I moved to Finland 10 years ago, studied here and was lucky enough to get a job right out of University but I also know enough internationals who are not that lucky and struggle to find employment for years. It is even harder for international moms, since the lack of networking opportunities and struggles to combine work and family life in a foreign country are adding to the difficulties to navigate a new society. I have volunteered ever since I started studying and for me, this is a way of giving back, using and enhancing my skills and having fun while actually contributing positively to society.
Contributing and influencing towards a more family-friendly and international Finland is close to my heart and I am very happy to be able to do so with many ambitious internationals from different countries and backgrounds. It is great to see what we can do together! In one year we have already organised amazing events and reached many people all around the world with our mission. Organising events with professionals on interesting topics is my favourite part of volunteering in MiB.
I have learned to value the connection to people with different backgrounds and work together on a common mission. Both professionally as well as interpersonally I have learned a lot by collaborating with both internationals and Finns on this project. My biggest learning is that we still have work to do on our way to fulfil our mission, but we can do anything when we work together!”
Warm congratulations to Rabea as she was recently named MiB Super-Active! Amazing job Rabea!
Simba’s 3 tips for MiB actives to remember
❤ We don’t need to be ready, we just need to start somewhere
❤ Reach out and ask - there’s always a mom who knows ;)
❤ Cut yourself some slack ‘cause you’re doing awesome!
Want to join us?
MiB International is now recruiting new volunteers to join this wonderful group! You don’t need to be a MiB member to volunteer with us.
We’re organizing a webinar & mingle on Thursday 18th November 2021 from 17 to 17:45 in Zoom to discuss about MiB International and the volunteering opportunities we have. Everyone is welcome to join and ask questions! Sign up for the event in Lyyti.
For more information about volunteering at MiB, visit our website
and contact us anytime at hello(@)mib.fi !
We’re looking forward to meeting you ❤
Blog written and stories collected by coordinator Viivi Kuja-Kyyny, a mother and a strong believer in better world, as long as we work together.
Mothers in Business (MiB) is a nationwide network that supports career-oriented mothers in balancing work and family. Our aim is to provide opportunities for skills development, networking and career advancement. Currently, we have over 4500 members and hundreds of volunteers throughout Finland.
