Kiitos Suomi event celebrated gratitude toward “the country that gives us a home away from home”
“As an immigrant, I am grateful for the system, safety and opportunities in Finland,” says event organizer Josephine Atanga.
Seblewongel Tariku
Sercan Alkan
Published 17.12.2025 at 4:58
Updated 17.12.2025 at 4:58
After a few years in Finland, Josephine Atanga wanted to say thank you. What started as a short visit in 2012 had gradually turned into nursing studies, a career as a registered nurse, and a master’s degree.
In 2019, Cameroonian-American Atanga had even started working on PhD for the University of Limerick in Ireland about care for older immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Research that she is currently finalizing.
Alongside her studies, she has worked full-time as a registered nurse in Finland, combining home care visits with academic research.
“It’s exhausting, but nothing worthwhile comes without challenges,” Atanga says.
She credits Finland’s education system for making it possible to combine demanding studies with full-time work. This is an opportunity she believes would have been far harder to access elsewhere.
“If I were in the United States, I would not have had this opportunity.”
Three years ago, Atanga’s sense of gratitude took concrete form. Together with an association she had founded earlier, Woman Designed for Success, she launched an event called Kiitos Suomi (Thank You Finland).
Celebration of gratitude, community and integration
Since then, Kiitos Suomi has been held annually, celebrating gratitude, community and integration. The most recent event took place on December 5, 2025, at Malmitalo in Helsinki, in collaboration with Africans and African-Europeans Association, the City of Helsinki, Frank Documentary and several other partners.
The program brought together city officials, embassies, non-governmental organizations and community groups. Speakers included Helsinki Mayor Daniel Sazonov, Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Mika Poutala, and Vantaa Mayor Pekka Timonen. Their remarks focused on youth inclusion, community-building and the role cities play in supporting everyday integration.
Timonen also accepted a Kiitos Suomi recognition on behalf of the City of Vantaa, honouring its work to promote immigrant integration.
In panel discussions, immigrants from diverse backgrounds shared their integration experiences and reflections on gratitude. The conversations were followed by cultural highlights, including dance performances, traditional food and a multicultural fashion show showcasing both Finnish and immigrant designers.
Children and young people were also actively involved, underscoring the event’s strong intergenerational focus.
Gratitude is a starting point
For Atanga, Kiitos Suomi is part of a broader integration process.
“It’s a way of recognizing the country that gives us a home away from home,” she says. “Gratitude opens doors.”
Gratitude alone, however, is not enough. Successful integration also requires inspiration, guidance and often practical support from both Finns and other immigrants. That belief led Atanga to found the Facebook group Foreigners in Finland, now one of the country’s largest online communities for immigrants.
“I wanted to bring migrants together. Create a place to share ideas, inspire one another and get practical help,” she says.
The same principle underpins the Kiitos Suomi events. As Atanga puts it, expressing gratitude does not mean ignoring challenges or pretending everything is perfect.
“It means recognizing what works and asking how to make it better,” she says. “For me, gratitude is not an endpoint, but a starting point.”