PL 54
00101 Helsinki
Finland
- Democracy and community development
- Gender
- Human rights
African Care ry is a non-governmental organization operating from Helsinki, Finland. It was founded in 2001 by African women, working as health and social workers in the capital region. In Finland African Care aims to strengthen the societal position of immigrant women and their families. Currently the focus is on supporting health and wellbeing. African Care also organizes and facilitates trainings and seminars for Finnish authorities and health service students/professionals in the capital region on multiculturalism, female genital mutilation and honor violence. In Finland African Care also organises a global education project for upper secondary school students on the impact of global power structures on women’s lives in the developing world. Finally, African Care coordinates, with the support of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, a maternity clinic and training project in Somalia.
African Care’s goal is to promote human rights and gender equality and to empower disadvantaged women in Finland, as well as in the Global South.
African Care’s main project in Finland are women’s wellness groups. They provide a space for immigrant women to discuss, learn and share knowledge on different health related topics. African Care also provides a private swimming session for women. Furthermore, African Care organises global education, and in 2017-2018 the course is called ”Uncovering power structures – the impact of global power structures on women’s lives in the developing world”. In Somalia, African Care coordinates a Maternity Clinic and Training Project. The project begun in 2012 and is based in Afgooye, located about 30 km from the capital Mogadishu, where African Care works together with a local NGO. The clinic employs 20 healthcare professionals. The activities of the maternity clinic consist of assisting mothers in deliveries, helping and treating victims of rape and sexual violence, HIV testing along with consulting and raising awareness. The clinic treats approximately 1500 patients and assists in over 100 deliveries monthly.