“I work 8 hours a day for five days a week. My employer encourages me to study, and I get paid extra for every extra hour I work. Just the overtime compensation is about 30 000 pesos or even more in a month, in addition to normal salary.”
This is a true story about Margie Onato’s life. She is a Filipino who worked in Hongkong for almost ten years. She is also a mother, and her dream is to be able to provide the best possible future for her children. This is why she didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity to join the HSS program when her friend Myla recommended it to her. “I decided to take the course and work in Finland because I knew how great opportunities that would bring me,” Margie says.
“The biggest challenge for me was the Finnish language because it is not very easy,” she says and continues: “And to be honest, I was a bit afraid of the cold weather, too.” Luckily, her doubts turned out to be unfounded, and working in Finland started to go well. Margie says that her colleagues at Essote Rinnehovi are very kind, understanding, and friendly, and the same goes for patients.
Margie is also studying to become a qualified practical nurse. Despite working total hours and studying, she still has time to be with her friends and enjoy the beauty of Finnish nature. She likes to go biking or walking with other Filipinos she works with.
Before coming to Finland, Margie had seen snow only on TV. Now she lives in Eastern Finland, where the ground is covered with this white magic in winter. Even this felt like a fairytale at first!
Margie’s big dream is to one day bring her children to Finland, too. Finland provides free, top-class education for everyone. “I truly believe Finland is the happiest country in the world, and the future here looks fantastic.”
Margie wants to say to those still considering joining the HSS program: “If we did it, you can also do it! It takes a lot of work, but it is worth it!!“
