An entrepreneur and tech-gaming journalist, Junae Benne flew into Finland from the Windy City in the US. Full of hope and optimism, she is now coming to terms with the ins and outs of the Finnish immigration system.
When Junae Benne first visited Finland on a working trip to create a documentary about women in gaming, she fell in love with the country’s calm and serenity. One year later, she and her pet dog crossed the Atlantic to settle in Finland. Since then, she has grappled with the twin challenges of securing a residence permit and integrating into her newly adopted home.
“This is so hard because when I ask the DVV [Finish population registry] about Migri, they don't know. When I ask Migri about the DVV, they don't know. I can appreciate, as a person who used to have a 9-5, that these things are compartmentalised and you don't really need to know, but as the immigration office, I was looking for a final yes [or] no.”
"I'm doing everything wrong"
Commenting on her efforts to learn "the Finnish way" and to integrate into the society, Junae said that she still has a great deal to learn. She added that she is committed to learning by experience and continuous improvement.
“It feels like I'm doing everything wrong… I'm always learning something like but it's kind of like I learn something after I do it.”
During her career in Chicago, Junae used her skills and experience to lead an after-school programme to help youngsters learn about technology and gaming, as well as how to be safe online. She said that she hopes to contribute in a similar way in Finland. However she noted that the game industry can be hostile for women.
“Women have taken [their] lives because it has been so extreme and they feel like they can't ask anybody for help because it's a boys' club.”
"You are loved"
A confirmed optimist, Junae said that she hopes to leave a positive impact wherever she goes and she concluded her chat with host Denise Wall with a message for the FTTLG audience.
“I want to take a second to encourage everyone who is listening to this at any point time, whether it's a year from now, years from now, and say that you wonderful, you are loved. People need you, the things that you do are important, even if it's something as small as feeding a dog, feeding a child, giving someone some water.”
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Audio production was provided by Travis Glossop and the podcast was recorded at Enchanté Café in Helsinki.
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