CONTACT US

Helsinki Office

Elimäenkatu 15, 3. floor
00510 Helsinki
Finland

Donor Service

If you have any questions about donating or changing your information, please contact our donor service. We do not collect or coordinate material donation for refugees such as clothing or food.

Please contact us:

By email: donorservice@refugeecouncil.fi

By phone: +358 44 7429 203 (from Tuesday to Thursday 10–14)

Counseling and individual guidance

Our Kurvi team offers counselling, support, and advice about residence permits and immigration matters:

Phone consultation Wed-Thu from 10-12, tel. +358 44 742 9200 (calls, SMS, WhatsApp)
Face-to-face counselling for residents of Helsinki aged 15-29 Mon-Thu from 12-16 at Ohjaamo Helsinki (address: Fredrikinkatu 48, Kamppi)

Counseling for people fleeing war in Ukraine

Telephone consultation in Finnish, English, Russian and Ukrainian tel. +358 44 724 9882 (calls, SMS, WhatApp)
Face-to-face counselling for refugees from Ukraine Tue-Wed 12-15 at the Help Center Helsinki (address: Teollisuuskatu 9F, Vallila)

Information on Temporary Protection and other frequently asked questions about can be found on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.

In addition, Kurvi provides training and consulting for professionals. More information can be found on our website.

Volunteering

Inquiries related to volunteering: vapaaehtoiset@pakolaisapu.fi
More information about volunteering on our website.

Staff contact details

Staff e-mail addresses follow the pattern firstname.lastname@refugeecouncil.fi.

Administration

Annu Lehtinen
Executive Director
+358 44 719 1771

Jaakko Rämö
Director of Finance and Administration
+358 44 734 7687

Gianmarco Pagani
Senior Finance Officer
+358 44 742 9209

Marianna Tuoma
Finance Officer
+358 45 238 1787

Rosanna Lahtinen
HR Manager
+358 44 746 8462

Elina Ala-Hannula
Administrative Coordinator
+358 44 723 5545

Pauliina Pönni
HR and Administrative Assistant
+358 44 761 5484

Communications and Marketing

Annika Nyman-Paajanen
Director of Communications and Marketing
+358 44 754 3298

Katja Mannerström
Head of Public Affairs
+358 44 761 5708

Meri Kekki
Head of Fundraising
+358 44 742 9217

Marjukka Koskenkorva
Special Advisor, Communications
+358 45 133 3803

Melissa Ahlberg
Advocacy and Fundraising Officer
+358 44 764 2134

Ilona Saarinen
Fundraising and Administration Intern
+358 44 742 9216

Mariam Marei
Communications Intern
+358 44 764 2134

Cohesion unit

Ben Malinen
Director, Institutional Funding
+358 44 761 3721

Katariina Kinnunen
Specialist, voluntary return, (Return project)
+358 44 768 9346

Rose-Marie Kivijärvi
Specialist, voluntary return, (Return project)
+358 44 768 9600

International Operations

Leena Kumpulainen
Director, International Programme
+358 40 543 4541

Tarja Saarela-Kaonga
Country Director, Uganda
+256 31 226 6642

George Were
Country Director, Ethiopia
+251 97 819 9671

Su Su Htay
Country Director, Myanmar
+959 76 561 3800

Massimo Lanciotti
Head of Humanitarian Operations and Global Grants
+358 44 709 5807

Outi Perähuhta
Specialist, Development cooperation and Education
+358 45 121 5548

Janika Valtari
Monitoring and Reporting Adviser
+358 44 742 9218

Domestic Operations

Kaisa Kannuksela
Director, Domestic Programme
+358 44 742 9213

RESILIENCE UNIT

Marko Kivikoski
Head of Unit, Resilience
+358 44 720 8479

Tony Khalil
Team Leader, Guidance and Councelling of Immigrants (Kurvi)
+358 44 732 8061

Elina Rahmani
Training officer, Guidance and Councelling of Immigrants (Kurvi)
+358 44 767 1594

Bassel Badawieh
Counsellor, Guidance and Councelling of Immigrants (Kurvi)
+358 44 769 0526

Arttu Tolin
Counsellor, Guidance and Councelling of Immigrants (Kurvi)
+358 44 742 9211

Irina Eteläaho
Counsellor, Ukraine Project
+358 44 724 9882

Nouran Al-Emara
Specialist, Gang Involvement and Radicalization (Sawian)
+358 44 742 9202

Abdirahman Rage
Specialist, Gang Involvement and Radicalization (Sawian)
+358 44 742 9210

Mustafa Husseini
Specialist, Gang Involvement and Radicalization (Sawian)
+358 44 768 8604

Maryam Fathollahi (on study leave)

EMPLOYMENT AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC AFFAIRS UNIT

Joonas Rentola
Head of Unit, Employment and Inclusive Economic Affairs
+358 44 742 9212

Elena Tamminen
Specialist, education and employment (Sauma Career Training)
+358 44 734 9297

Oona Timonen
Specialist, education and employment (Sauma Career Training)
+358 44 774 6153

Shenäh Räzabi
Specialist, Prevention of Labour Exploitation (Fair Labour Project)
+358 44 742 9207

Ahmed Mesaedy
Specialist, Prevention of Labour Exploitation (Fair Labour Project)
+358 44 741 1069

Maria Lavonen
Specialist, employment, Ukraine Project
+358 44 742 9214

Anni Harmaala
Specialist, civic orientation
+358 44 768 9605

Ulla Tarkka (on parental leave)

SOCIAL COHESION UNIT

Ala Saeed
Specialist, Receptiveness of Society and Equity
+358 44 776 4859

Federico Ferrara
Specialist, Networks and social cohesion
+358 44 742 9204

Tuuli Shinyella
Specialist, civil society, social cohesion, and advocacy
+358 44 742 9205

Johanna Luukkonen
Specialist, Civil Society and Social Cohesion
+358 44 768 9243

Anne-Mari Ikonen-Hussain
Specialist, Global Education and Volunteer Management
+358 44 742 9201

Kaisa Honkala
Specialist, Social Cohesion and Communications
+358 44 025 6834

Petri Komulainen
Specialist, Peer Support, Volunteer Management and Accessibility
+358 45 120 9036

Tuomas Rinne
Adviser, Multicultural Civil Society and NGO Consultations
Kulttuuritalo Laikku, Keskustori 4 (3rd floor), 33100 Tampere
+358 40 844 1217

Janina Vesala
Assistant, Social Cohesion Unit
+358 44 742 9206

Suvi Niemelä (on parental leave)