Features
The Ghanaian Muslim community in Finland
Some Ghanaian muslims who are promoting Islam in Finland
Today, I focus on the Ghanaian Muslim community in Finland. As I have said previously, there are many personalities and institutions that contribute to the smooth running of things in the lives of Ghanaian migrants in Finland. The Ghanaian Muslim community is a very good example.
The exploits of such people or groups are laudable and should be acknowledged. I have previously written about the Church of Pentecost (COP) when their National Head, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, visited Helsinki a few months ago.
I have also written about the African Catholic Chaplaincy when Catholics, Lutherans and other worshippers celebrated a Thanksgiving Holy Mass organised by the Chaplaincy at the Kallio (Lutheran) Church in Helsinki, which was a key milestone in ecumenism.
The religious life of Ghanaian migrants in Finland, whether Christians or Muslims, also shows the role of religion in binding them together for positive outcomes.
The Ghanaian Muslim
community in Finland
There is a sizeable number of Ghanaian Muslims in Finland, although this estimation is based on my own rough evaluation and not on any official statistics. The Ghanaian Muslim group is a strong, well-knit one, devoted to building the spiritual and physical lives of its members through prayers at the mosque on Fridays and in other social activities.
The Muslim group has long been in existence. According to Mr Adam Mohammed Naporo, one of the founding members, most of the current members came to meet the group as a small community.
Initially, the members prayed with other nationals at their place of worship. Later, as the number of Ghanaian Muslims grew, they formed themselves into a well-organised group, which has existed for about 15 years now.
They also saw the need to educate the young ones about the Ghanaian culture and heritage. While teaching the tenets of the religion is seen as very important, “many parents felt the need to teach their kids the Ghanaian culture too, their roots”, Mr Naporo said.
Organising themselves
Aside going to the mosque for Friday prayers, the Ghanaian Muslims also organise other social activities that bring them together in unity and cordiality. These are goals that their leaders strive to pursue for the group to achieve.
The group usually gets together to celebrate important religious events such as the Eid ul-fitr and Eid ul-ahda. At such events, other people outside the group are invited to partake in the joyous celebration to mark the holy months of fasting.
The Muslim group also organises classes or a school (makaranta) for the kids every Saturday, Sunday, and on holidays. According to Mr Moro Abdulai, one of the leaders, the group also organises trips to Estonia and other places for its members.
Inculcating values
The new group got together a number of years back to raise their kids and teach them the tenets of Islam as well as values of the Ghanaian culture.
The leaders also try to instil discipline and give the kids the moral upbringing and identity as Muslims and as good citizens residing in Finland.
According to Mr. Abdulai, in their syllabus they also teach lessons on manners. Sometimes, they even invite experts within the Finnish society to talk and thus expose the kids with an education on discipline and integration.
How do they appreciate the Finnish society they live in? According to Mr Naporo, their group sees living as a kind of social contract. “We see ourselves as having a contract of living in Finland and so we should honour the contract by obeying the laws of the country. We let our people appreciate that”, he pointed out.
Unity and harmony
The Ghanaian Muslim community stands for unity and harmony in their group as well as in the larger Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
The Ghanaian Muslims are very supportive of activities by the Ghana Union Finland, a body representing Ghanaian migrants and devoted to enhancing close cooperation and cordial relationships for effective integration of its members into the Finnish society, while also upholding the good image of Ghana abroad.
Members of the Ghanaian Muslim community prepare popular dishes—waakye, tuo zaafi, etc.—and donate them to the Ghana Union for its events, which are usually well attended.
Ensuring integration
All this also indicate the opportunities for members of the Ghanaian diaspora in Finland to integrate into the Finnish society through religion and their religious activities and affiliation.
As I keep pointing out, Finland encourages migrants’ participation in the planning of issues concerning the migrants themselves, using this strategy as one of the efficient ways to improve their inclusion. Thus, there is an enabling environment created within the Finnish religious ecology that undoubtedly helps migrants, including Ghanaian Muslim migrants, to integrate into the host Finnish society. Thank you!
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
