While the debate on refugee crisis in Europe is going on, politicians fight over refugee quotas, some people do something to help. For example, a couple from Berlin launched website to help refugees find roommates in early September. Now, Finland-based Funzi, a mobile learning and information service, launches a service for asylum seekers that delivers reliable information to their mobile phone users (yes, refugees come to Europe with smart phones).
The service is easy to use and applies to all immigrants. It is initially available in an English version with multiple language versions under development. Funzi’s service contains trustworthy information from official sources that will enable immigrants to operate more efficiently and find the authorities in different stages of immigration. The service is free.
”We want to give asylum seekers easily understandable information to facilitate everyday life in Finland”, tells Tero Salonen, CEO Funzilife. ”In addition, we want to offer the authorities a way to reach asylum seekers for guiding correct information”.
“The current refugee situation the entire EU is facing is a historical and extremely challenging one. We believe that with Funzi’s learning platform we can strengthen and channel the potential of the refugees in a way that is meaningful both to the refugees themselves as well as for the surrounding society” says Tuula Antola, Director for Economic and Business Development at the City of Espoo, Finland.
The service is available for use worldwide, and the company plans to expand its operations. Country specific learning packages for asylum seekers will be published throughout the EU. Funzi is looking for co-operation partners to create country specific information.
Additionally Funzi provides mobile courses for employment and entrepreneurship, which can help immigrants to bring their professional skills to the labor market.
Funzi was founded in February 2014 by people who wanted share their expertise on mobile business and education, and turn it into something globally remarkable. Funzi’s courses are delivered like a pack of cards broken down into smaller, easily understood and digestible sections. After reading and understanding a card, the user may have the opportunity to answer a quiz question, receiving instant confirmation of what they have learnt and understood. The first services were initially launched to meet the information needs in the developing countries. In 2014 Funzi launched “Entrepreneurship” and “Get that Job”-packages that are used in Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa.
