Who are we?
Our mission is to inspire young people to make a difference in the world by voluntary work. By having the human dignity of people as a core of our actions, we encourage the young to engage in social development projects that help the neediest. We want to serve them and have an open mindset to be able to share with, and learn from them. We believe that by supporting solidarity today, we build a better society tomorrow.
International Youth Cooperation Suomi ry is a youth association operating in Finland since 2015 and established legally in 2017. It is as local branch of the network International Youth Cooperation, non-governmental organisation present in 11 European countries with more than 25 years of experience.
What do we do?
To fulfill our mission, we:
- Organize events that inspire youth to volunteer and live for others;
- Coordinate learning, training and formation events that help volunteers to develop their skills
- Foster equality opportunities among young people, regardless their sex, race, or background.
- Offer courses and activities that help our volunteers and other young people to find meaningfulness in their life.
- Set campaigns and teambuilding events to grant visibility to solidarity as value.
- Cooperate in international projects with similar goals, exchanges and volunteering activities.
- Raise and collect funds to undertake these objectives.
More information about IYC at https://iyouthc.org
Alexandra Lahti-Nuuttila
Alexandra has a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Helsinki, majoring in Slavic Studies and Baltology, and speaks six languages fluently. She has been an active volunteer since 2020 and a board member since 2022. Alexandra has been involved in the implementation of various solidarity projects, e.g. music project, and has a lot of experience in child and youth work. She has worked e.g. as a counselor for young people in need of special support. In the future, Alexandra dreams of a job where she can support the growth and well-being of children and young people in society. She is particularly interested in working with children and young people who need special support.
Siyan Zhuang
Siyan has a vision of young and old hanging out with each other more often. In this vision, encounters between generations enrich and deepen the sense of humanity of the individual and society. Siyan sings in the choir
Félix Leminen
Felix is an entrepreneur in the field of educational technology, who focuses especially on language teaching. He aims to promote the skills of young entrepreneurs both in Finland and internationally. Felix appreciates IYC's work for young people and is therefore interested in participating in its board. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and CrossFit.
Gerardo Falcón
Gerardo is a Mexican sustainability professional dedicated to creating positive change. Gerardo has a strong foundation in environmental design and has experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Gerardo actively participates in social sustainability initiatives by collaborating with non-governmental organizations to empower marginalized communities and advocate for decent job creation and micro-entrepreneurship, income-generating activities and education for indigenous youth. Gerardo's hobbies are gastronomy, cinema and hiking.
Árpád Demeter
Árpád Demeter has been involved in IYC since 2022. He is studying architecture in his second year at Aalto University and also practices taekwondo in the national team. He has been involved in organizing the events of the international year and volunteered in campaigns whenever possible.
Diego González
Diego is a Spanish doctoral researcher in Helsinki. In his spare time, he likes meeting friends, cooking and rowing. He has worked as a volunteer and missionary in various organizations and countries around the world, including IYC Finland, where he has been actively cooperating for the past three years. Committed to improving the lives of others, he now looks forward to contributing to the expansion, outreach and development of IYC.
Jorge Soria
Jorge “Jyri” Soria is a Spanish born enthusiastic fellow. He got to know IYC through distributing breakfast to the homeless in Madrid. Jorge was part of the founding group of IYC Suomi and currently serves as the chairman of the board. Jorge studied economics at Aalto University and now works as a researcher at the University of Helsinki. Besides charity work his interests also include nature, hiking, climbing and literature.
Kinga Makfalvi
Kinga is currently between finishing and starting her studies. She has been participating in many of the IYC's activities, such as the Knitting for Others project and food distribution, over the past few years. These activities have brought her much joy, as she has been able to contribute to the well-being and happiness of others. She has learned how much people need each other and how much small acts can change someone's outlook and attitude towards life. Through the work of the IYC you have the opportunity to learn more about the meaning of help, education, relationships and mainly about the importance of serving others. She enjoys many different things, mainly related to traditions, culture and people. She enjoys spending time outdoors, dancing, and doing crafts.
Aino Okinyo
Aino Okinyo is a deputy member of the IYC board. IYC was one of her first NGO jobs in 2021 and she was impressed with all the great projects we did with the youth. She considers it important to create an atmosphere in society where people care about others and have the opportunity to help other people. She hopes that everyone will find suitable volunteering opportunities and that no one will be left alone with their own challenges.