Mother´s Day 2024 - A blast!

Sunday 12th of May, in Finland, as well as many other parts of the world, was Mother´s Day.  

Three US citizen women initiated this long-standing tradition in the late 1800, during the American civil war. Two activists, Anna Reeves Jarvis and her daughter Anna, and writer Julia Word Hawe fostered the establishment of a day to not only celebrate mothers but to encourage women worldwide to cooperate with each other to reach peace and equality.  

Motherhood and maternity are very multifaceted concepts, which have different meanings depending on the social-cultural context of reference.  

As Monaliiku, we have always maintained, sport with its unifying power fosters multicultural communities to come together. And our event for Mother´s Day proved it once again!  

It was a burst of positive energy to see families all together dancing zumba, trying shadow boxing maybe for the first time, jumping around with the kangoo shoes and practicing yoga outdoor. We were more than 500 people at the Leppävaraan stadium, with different cultural backgrounds.  

It was equally important to us and our partner organizations to encourage women and mothers to take care of themselves, being mindful that their well-being nurtures the well-being of their loved ones.  

A heartfelt thank you to the partner organizations: Heed Finland, Suomen- Venäjän kielisten liitto (SVK), Suomi- Syyria ystävyysseura, Monikanaiset, and Finn- Mamu. Thanks to those who decided to share the day with us, participants and volunteers. 

To next year!  ✨