Monaliiku

Monaliiku is coordinating local projects and sports activities that enhance the health and well-being of multicultural women and their families through sports. The activities vary from exercise groups to football and yoga or from swimming teaching to health education and sports events for families. We strive to engage in our activities the women who need support in integrating healthy life style or sports to their everyday life.
Monaliiku is specialized in arranging activities for multicultural women and girls who face different kind of challenges in participating to sports and exercise groups due to personal restrictions that stem from their cultural background which are not always recognized and considered in the socie-ty. Monaliiku is experienced in finding solutions that break down the barriers and obstacles that multicultural and immigrant women face when engaging to sports groups and activities and thus preventing their social exclusion in the society.
In 2018, Monaliiku’s flagship project Fit4Life has been awarded by the European Commission the #BeInclusive EU Sport Awards that recognises organisations using the power of sport to increase social inclusion for disadvantaged groups. The Fit4Life project focuses on prevention of social ex-clusion, promoting social well-being and improving of the quality of life of multicultural women, with the help of sports. In total the program engages a growing number of about 250 participants and instructors weekly offering a wide range of opportunities for sports and physical activities. Monaliiku has found a sustainable way to create activities for women with migrant background that due to cultural and religious restrictions would not be able to participate in sport activities. The main goal is to improve and sustain the health of the participants, but also to encourage them to integrate, to participate in the regular groups.
Beside the Fit4Life program, Monaliiku coordinates in 2019 one large project, Mentor on the Move, and two small ones. The goal of Mentor on the Move is to promote the well-being of the mentees (immigrant women) by building social networks and preventing social exclusion, improv-ing opportunities to participate in society and work life and by enhancing health by integrating physical activity into everyday life.
Last year, Monaliiku has coordinated in 2018 a pilot project funded by the European Union. The aim of the project was to foster the integration and social inclusion of refugees in Finland through sports. The activities in the project supported the integration of the refugee families into Finnish society through football and sport sessions, in which they participated together with families or persons who were volunteering in the activities.