Meet Lapinlahti people: Amjad Sher

We meet with the busy, but happy Amjad in the Aleksis Kivi’s corridor. He is one of MIITTI-project’s carrying forces, and has been a part of it since 2017—first as a project manager and now as a facilitator.

Amjad came to Finland as a refugee from Pakistan in 2016. He was very active in the refugee reception center, where he was living in at first. Even then, it was important to Amjad to find a way for refugees to communicate with the Finnish society, both parties understanding the other. He started writing a blog from the reception center together with other residents.

There was a worker in the reception center, who knew about the MIITTI project in Lapinlahti, and they asked if Amjad wanted to participate in it. Amjad agreed, but it took a while before he got a response from the project. He received instructions to come to the old psychiatric hospital of Lapinlahti, where Café Lähde was operating. Back then, the building wasn’t the same lively event center it is now with tenants—the Venetsia building was completely empty. Only the café was in operation.

At first Amjad was hesitant about whether he wanted to participate in advancing the project, but decided to give it a chance. Very quickly the feeling of belonging swept him up and Lapinlahti became like a home for him. The project needed a place, so the members of MIITTI renovated a suitable space from Venetsia house for their needs. Amjad was in the group developing the project from the start, and felt it suited him. The better he got to know other people in the Lapinlahti community, the more he grew to like the community and the area. “Lapinlahti is everything to me. It is my safe haven and my refuge”, he says. Amjad feels he was born again in Lapinlahti. The place has given him a lot to be greatful for, and he wants to contribute for the place as well.

There has been uncertainty hanging above Lapinlahti in regards of the activities continuing. Amjad deeply hopes the place could continue just like it is now: a hub for culture, wellbeing, and bettering mental health. The activities have increased and grown just the right amount; Amjad doesn’t think there is need for more, to keep Lapinlahti an enticing oasis for artists and other members of the community. There is a soul in Lapinlahti that reflects its community, which would be lost with commodification, if it was handed over to large, profit-seeking corporations.The community has naturally built such a unique, open, and accepting atmosphere for everyone, and it would be a shame to lose that.

Thank you for the interview, Amjad!

Original text: Taika Korpinsola