Meet Lapinlahti people: Miia Lusa

I meet Miia Lusa and her wonderful dog Irmeli in the corner room of Café Lähde. Only a couple weeks ago, Miia started her job as the Uusimaa Cultural well-being spot project manager in Lapinlahti. She has just arrived from the Apple Tree house, which is going to become the work place for the project.

—The Apple Tree house is a unique place for this concept, and when the space is ready and everyday life is in motion, we’re meaning to organise an open doors event, Miia explains.

Miia is a community educator by training, and she has a strong background as a professional in organisational activities. Already in high school she was a part of the student council board, and since then she has been a part of multiple organisations and their different assignments. One meaningful project has been founding the Koala mental health activism group. The Koala group, which has been running for almost ten years, lessens stigma around mental health and increases the involvement and agency of young adults through group activities. Koala works under Mielenterveysyhdistys Etappi association. 

—The daily life of Koala’s operation is running smoothly, which is why I was able to seize this new opportunity at Pro Lapinlahti mental health association, where I am able to concentrate on organisational improvement more. The role of Uusimaa Cultural well-being spot project manager fits my interests perfectly.

Along with being a professional in mental health recovery and organisational activities, Miia is a huge enjoyer of culture—literature and informal urban culture events are especially close to her heart. Lapinlahti was also already dear and familiar to Miia, because Koala’s first space was in Lapinlahden Lähde.

—It felt like everything clicked perfectly, when I was chosen for this position.

Lapinlahti is full of activity

The purpose of the Uusimaa culture well-being spot is to develop an operations model, that brings together citizens and different organisations that provide welfare services. There’s also the intention to cooperate strongly with the wellbeing services counties. Miia underscores the importance of inclusive work style and sees herself as an enabler.

—In this project as well we want to especially hear experiences and feedback from “ordinary” citizens and people who are recovering from a mental illness with the help of The Citizens’ Forum and culture testers.

Miia, who has worked with these themes for years, feels that the stigma around mental health has somewhat lessened, even though there still is work to be done.

—It’s been four and a half years since Koala activities moved from Lapinlahti. I feel that the Lapinlahti comunity has taken big leaps forward. Now there’s noticeably more hubbub and activity. The most important point of improvement is improving visibility and impact. The activities are brilliant, but the right people should find them better.

One important part in the conversation has also been Irmeli. Her tail wags fast, when Miia says that Irmeli has been enthusiastic about Lapinlahti since the beginning. Irmeli is a very social city dog, who thrives in the middle of people. I have also been privy to Irmeli’s happy welcome greetings, when I’ve been in meetings where she is present.

At the end, Miia gives me a great tip for enjoying culture. She and her friends sometimes organise “cultural blind dates”, where one of the friends chooses a show, exhibition, or other event. The others can just come along without knowledge.

—That allows everyone to experience something completely new, something you probably wouldn’t otherwise find. It’s always lovely to be surprised!

Photos and original text: Annina Loimu