In Finland, the risk of immigrant children dropping out of school and out of the workforce is up to five times higher than that of native Finnish children. They also suffer more often from mental health problems, and face challenges when applying for education and creating social relationships.

When Christal O’Spel, a researcher from Helsinki University, found out about this fact, she decided to do something about it. YEPP ry (Youth educational performance program) was born, which offers support to immigrant and refugee youth aged 9-18 to promote their school and social life. YEPP ry started organizing science clubs for young people, where they were introduced not only to the fields of science, but also served as a connecting hand between Finnish actors and immigrant youth. Next, Christal wanted to start supporting young people with the help of art clubs, and was looking for a partner for them.

Marjo Oliva, director of Napa Agency, saw Christal pitching at the University of Arts about the socially significant activities of YEPP ry in 2022, and she was immediately excited about the opportunity to be involved. This started a long development work, from which we can now finally start the joint work for the benefit of immigrant youth – with the support of Avek Createmo funding!

When the youth were asked which themed art workshops would primarily interest them, the answer was clear: graffiti! Great news was that Napa Agency’s workshop and consulting service Napa School already had experienced leaders of graffiti workshops for children. The first workshop was organized in January 2024, at the premises of Afaes (Africans and African European Association) in Roihupelto. See pictures from the first workshop here on Napa’s Flickr!

The cooperation between Napa School and YEPP ry with the support of Avek Creademo funding is a step towards supporting the well-being of young immigrants and refugees and the meaningful utilization of creative fields in social work. Follow us and stay tuned to see how our project is progressing!

#napaXyepp #AVEKtukee #creademo #napaschool

See pictures from the first workshop here on Napa’s Flickr!

This first workshop was sponsored by Afaes.

PSSST! Is your company interested in sponsoring this socially significant practice? Contact us, and let’s discuss the possibilities!