Kumppanuushautomo is a cooperation network for associations and other operators working in the field of integration in Espoo. It brings together professionals and active citizens to discuss and develop ideas and cooperation.
Kumppanuushautomo promotes the visibility of the associations and helps them work together with the City and other major institutions. The aim is to together develop the services of different sectors and the paths between various sectors. The role of Kumppanuushautomo is to support the capacity building processes of small associations. This concerns especially immigrant organizations with less experience of operating in Finland. In practice, Kumppanuushautomo aims at familiarising immigrant associations with their operational environment e.g. by instructing and assisting them in questions concerning funding, systematically developing activities and processes, and finding new NGO partners in Espoo.
Kumppanuushautomo also maps the current events, activities, and phenomena of the immigrant NGOs. Awareness of the activities, target groups, operational areas, and languages of immigrant NGOs enables the spreading of the word of their good work, and to better answer their needs. Immigrant associations are also encouraged to participate in the cooperation between the City and the third sector alongside other NGOs.