Society is made by humans. If something is wrong, we can change it

Matilda von Sydow grew up in central Oslo. She was involved in various organisations from an early age and has always been driven by a wish to challenge structural injustice in society. Her degree is in International Relations, but she ended up spending her career in local communities and thrive in this type of environment. Becoming a social entrepreneur has given her a new way of applying her skills together with business methodology, and it’s still a continuous learning process.

Project

Jobbsøkerhelpen believe that young people can, with a little help and the right tools, get their very first job by themselves. We do this by providing free training run by young trainers, and they access these services usually when they want to get a part time or summer job next to school. In this way we prevent unemployment and give young people from low income background an extra income and new role models, both through our activities and through their first meeting with the labour market.

Impact story

Abdirahman is 17 and lives in the inner city of Oslo. He is ambitious and attends a good school. His peers got part time jobs through contacts, while he had to apply through formal channels. “I wanted to get some work experience. My parents can’t put money aside for me, so I wanted to start saving for my first flat now since I know how expensive it is in Oslo.” He decided to join a free training course run by Jobbsøkerhjelpen after seeing an ad on Facebook. “The course helped me with all aspects of getting my first job. I got a lot more confident, and I believe everyone should get this course.” Abdirahman now works in the local council, in a team that runs monthly outdoor cinema events.