‘I had been completely disconnected from society for several years, without access to even the most basic requirements to lead a normal life.’ 

The consequences of long-term unemployment affected all aspects of Mika’s life. However, thanks to the ‘Toiminnan Kukka’ (Healing Through Gardening) project, Mika was able to cultivate a healthier situation, rejoin society and see his prospects grow, just like his plants. 

Funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), the project focused on gardening and floriculture as a means of developing social inclusion and life improvement for unemployed individuals in Alavus, Finland. Watching the plants grow from tiny seedlings gave Mika (and more than 36 other people) a much-needed sense of accomplishment and progress. 

‘After a little over a year of participating, I managed to get my life back on track and find employment,’ Mika reflects. He now has plans for the future: ‘Currently I am aiming to get vocational education in gardening, after I have got my driver’s license.’ 

Healing through gardening opened pathways to work for those who have been excluded from the job market. The project achieved this by organising visits to related businesses and educational institutions, and by coordinating work experience with the help of local gardening and floristry services. 

Shortly after receiving a job offer, Heidi, who participated in the project, said, ‘seeing the flowers grow is therapeutic and it feels like I’m progressing as they do’. Healing through gardening has shown significant success in getting participants back on track: 15 out of 36 participants were able to find either fixed-term or permanent employment after completing project activities.