2023 is ending up with amazing news! We are thrilled to announce that Kulttuurikeskus Ninho has been honored with the MAYA Award for the Best Moniheli Association of 2023! This marks the first time Ninho has received any recognition since its launch in 2016, and as members of Moniheli Network, we couldn’t be prouder.
The MAYA Award acknowledges Moniheli member associations’ efforts to promote the integration of immigrants in Finland, as well as the collaborations forged to strengthen partnerships within the network. This prestigious award was coordinated by Heed Association Finland ry, Think Africa ry, and Autokton ry.
Our Board Chair, Javier Gauto, accepted the award on behalf of Kulttuurikeskus Ninho and its members from Raakel Kumpunen, Viestintä Päällikkö at Moniheli. We express our heartfelt gratitude to Moniheli and the MAYA Awards Jury for this recognition, which fills us with honor, pride, and even more energy to keep working.
Of course we extend our huge ‘Thank you’ to all the people who have worked tirelessly to make this achievement possible, not just in 2022 but since our beginning — members, staff, volunteers, and friends who have contributed their love and time to every Ninho’s project, and the families and children we serve.
Working towards a more diverse Finnish children’s cultural sector since 2016
Kulttuurikeskus Ninho ry aims to enhance diversity in the Finnish children’s culture by connecting families, artists and cultural workers from varied backgrounds. Our mission centers on promoting democracy, innovation, equal access to art and culture and wellbeing.
Through initiatives like PICNIC – Art Family Encounters, Multilingual Storytelling Marathons, Lukupesä, and Kolibrí Festivaali, families actively participate, enjoying quality time with their children. Led by professionals with diverse backgrounds, these encounters provide a platform for multilingual families in Helsinki, Vantaa, and Espoo to connect, build community, and avoid social isolation.
Our goal is to offer families and children a safer and richer cultural and social environment, showcasing the benefits of fruitful cultural coexistence.
2022, a year of projects to help families and artists integrate into Finland
In 2022, our projects and collaborations with educators, librarians, reading mediators, and other sister multicultural organizations allowed us to work more and better cultural productions for families, improve access to book collections in minority languages, and create reading mediation spaces. We expanded guided tours, conducted national reading mediation training, and held multilingual reading workshops.
Through our initiative, Lukupesä, we have created informative videos to help immigrant families discover books in their heritage language within the Helmet system. Originally produced in Spanish, these videos have expanded into pluricentric languages such as Swahili, English, Portuguese, Persian, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Selkosuomi in 2023.
Our Multilingual Storytelling Marathons for families and their children, initially in Spanish and Portuguese, now host more than 10 different minority heritage languages, thanks to cooperation with multicultural associations, organizations, and institutions.
Events like Kolibrí Festivaali exemplify our dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion. Crafting diversity guidelines in 5 languages, we create a welcoming environment accessible during events and on our website.
Thanks to all our projects, Kulttuurikeskus Ninho ry generates employment opportunities for immigrant artists and other people interested in the children’s culture sector, filling positions such as Office Manager, Communications Coordinator, Production Director, and Production Assistant.
Once again, thank you Moniheli and thank you to all Ninho’s friends.
Remember you can also help us to develop a more diverse and multicultural children’s culture sector in Finland.
Because we do it together, become a member!