Ezekiel Kuhoga wants to solve employment challenges
Originally from Tanzania, Ezekiel Kuhoga hopes that international talents will be more actively included in the development of employment services in Finland. Taking initiative, he builds communities that encourage interaction between employees and job seekers.
Ezekiel Kuhoga moved from Tanzania to Finland in 2016. After living in several cities around the country, he and his family have now settled in Kuopio. While life in Finland is good, Kuhoga is disappointed by the limited employment opportunities.
He holds a master’s degree in photonics from the University of Eastern Finland, but finding work in his field has proven difficult without strong networks. As a result, he is founding a company where he can apply his other strengths, such as photography, digital marketing, and community development.
“One of my passions is training. I’ve launched a coaching project called Talent Mindset Coaching, where I help other immigrants to Finland find opportunities in their careers,” Kuhoga explains.
As part of the project, he has invited coaches, mentors, experts, and employers to share insights on how international professionals can better find their place and overcome employment challenges. All coaching sessions are recorded and published on social media.
Kuopio Talents Community
Having grown up in Africa, Kuhoga is used to strong community bonds—where everyone offers help and takes interest in newcomers. In Finland, he has had to adapt to the reality that one must take initiative to be included in a community. Alongside his coaching project, he has developed a social media-based community called Kuopio Talents, aiming to connect all international talents in the Kuopio area.
“I enjoy organizing live events, like barbecue parties, where we can share experiences. I believe these kinds of gatherings can genuinely improve our lives in Finland,” Kuhoga says.
He also sees a need for better communication about available activities in the North Savo region. To address this, he is working on a project with Talent First to showcase various international communities through videos and articles, making them easier for others to discover.*)
More Open Dialogue Needed
Despite the challenges, Kuhoga sees promise in Finland. He remains hopeful that employment will come. In the meantime, he produces content for the social media channels of the communities he has created and does extensive volunteer work—though this effort comes without pay.
“I try to expand my network by staying active. I hope this will help in my job search, but I think being active should bring more concrete benefits,” he reflects.
Kuhoga believes there is a need for more open discussion in Finland about employment challenges, especially from the perspective of international job seekers. While there are events aimed at connecting job seekers with employers, he feels they often fail to deliver. He wants more direct feedback from companies on why they don’t hire foreigners and what qualities an international professional should have to be considered for a position.
“I believe the real barrier is prejudice, even though many employers claim it’s due to a lack of language skills,” Kuhoga laments.
He also hopes that organizations providing employment services would offer more support to those who are proactive and engaged. The experiences of international job seekers, Kuhoga argues, should be used to improve the job search process—they are the real experts in this area.
Text: Minna Akiola
Photos: Ezekiel Kuhoga
*) Ezekiel Kuhoga has collaborated with Talent First. Videos showcasing international communities operating in North Savo will be published on our YouTube channel (playlist: “Kansainväliset verkostot“) and will also be featured alongside articles on the Talent First website.
Kuopio Talents:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9896450/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1059886386137993/
Talent Mindset Coaching:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmindsetcoaching
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmindsetcoaching/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570994262585
