THT-Fatuma Faisal Ali Waraabe, says that the award for her work is a testament to the fact that foreign children (refugees) can succeed if given the opportunity, as Finland is recognized for its social and developmental achievements reached within short time.
At a ceremony to honor Fatuma, the daughter of UCID Chairman Eng Faisal Ali Waraabe, founder of Hoiwa, a healthcare provider, was vibrantly admired by her achievements and praised by guest and award presenters.
Fatuma, the first non-Finnish recipient of the award in 42 years, spoke at the award ceremony and called on the Finnish society to welcome foreigners, as they can be potential if given opportunities.
Excerpts of her speech were;
“Thank you very much! This is a wonderful recognition; this feels wonderful. I am very grateful!
“I am grateful to Finland, where I have lived for the last 32 years ago, I came when I was a little girl. This is the land that gave me, great opportunities and I have tried to use them to the best of my ability.
“I am grateful to Espoo city too. Thank you Espoo! Espoo is a great city. Espoo is good place to live and work.
“In my opinion, this is a testament to the fact that even refugee children, can find their own way in Finland and can make people proud.
“Many who have left Ukraine to flee the war have been helped here. I believe, and it is true this time people realize no matter where you are from, it’s important to give help and support where it’s needed. All people are valuable.
“I would like to point out that there is no hatred in Finland where you come from. That is why; everyone has the opportunity to articulate, try and succeed. That is the reason many people would experience that hard work will be rewarded.
“I hope to be a role model for minorities and encourage them, and gradually expand more. Finland will be more diverse. Many people will feel like they are over-looked in this society. We will get more successes stories and role models if opportunities are given.
“I wish minorities will not be seen as victims. But, people who can do anything.
“I am Muslim, I am a Muslim woman. I am not a victim.
“I have plans and goals and I will do it for them. I hope this would be a normal situation in Finland.
“Let us entrepreneurs keep up the high spirit, let’s be bold and determined. Let’s be a dynamo of Finnish economy even in these difficult times!” END.
Fatuma Ali, the founder and CEO of Hoiwa Oy with a Somali background, has been chosen Entrepreneur of the Year in Espoo. As an entrepreneur, 35-year-old immigrant woman Fadumo Ali has made Hoiwa Oy an exceptional success story in a short time. Hoiwa is a social and healthcare company that operates as a reliable partner for the public and private sectors throughout Finland.
Hoiwa Oy was founded only two years ago in 2020. Already in the first year, the company’s turnover rose to almost half a million euros and jumped to as much as 4.2 million euros in the second financial year just ended.
The company started with one office worker and now has ten employees in the office. After the first year, there were about 400 and now 2,500 health care professionals on Hoiwa’s lists. Rare growth figures for any business. From the beginning, Hoiwa Oy has also been profitable, which has enabled a strong growth rate.
The entrepreneurial colleagues in Espoo who made the selection also drew attention to the fact that under the leadership of Fatuma Ali, Hoiwa Oy has hired a considerable number of hard-to-employ immigrants. In addition, the company is able to offer its employees a better level of pay than normal and good working conditions.
Hoiwa’s founder, CEO and chairman of the board, Fatuma Ali has been considered the boss and employer. He has a very positive attitude towards entrepreneurship. Fadumo has set significant growth targets for Hoiwa Oy. The company’s goal is to expand its operations to international markets and apply for the stock exchange.
The Entrepreneur of the Year in Espoo has been chosen since 1980. The first entrepreneur of the year was Kurt Linderoos , the founder of the successful advertising agency Takapirun . Being the Entrepreneur of the Year has almost always meant continued success for the winner and his company, even more rapidly. The Espoo Entrepreneurs’ Electoral Council believes that this will be the case again with Fadumo Ali, the founder of Hoiwa Oy.
The Entrepreneur of the Year award was presented to Fadumo Ali on April 5, 2022 at Dipoli by Jukka Mäkelä , Mayor of Espoo, and Markku Sahi , Deputy Chairman of Espoo Entrepreneurs .
The Story of Hoiwa – Stronger than before for an important mission
Statement from Hoiwa
It has only been two years since Hoiwa was founded. These two years have brought circumstances that none of us could have foreseen. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the healthcare industry in an unprecedented way and concerns about the health of healthcare workers have increased. In addition, the current world situation is frightening and creates uncertainty for us all.
Despite these difficult times, we’re happy and grateful that through Hoiwa we’ve been able to play our part and create faith in the healthcare industry. Resilient and caring healthcare professionals are needed and Hoiwa’s work is valued, which is reflected in Hoiwa’s growth.
Concrete actions, not only words
In this industry, we need action instead of just nice words, so it’s also good to look at the numbers behind what we do.
Over the past year, the number of Hoiwa’s employees has increased from 400 to almost 2500. A year ago we were only operated in the capital region, but now you can be employed through Hoiwa all over Finland, including Lapland. More than 30 different clients in the public and private sectors rely on our services and on Hoiwa to provide professional and skilled workers when help is needed. Hoiwa’s revenue has also increased from 0.5 million to 4 million in the past year.
The culture of healthcare is changing
We have found that the way we act and publicly discuss problems in the healthcare sector has brought about a positive change in the whole industry. In the past two years, similar companies have entered the market and more and more healthcare providers share our way of thinking. This is nothing but positive and we are honored to be leading the way on this important mission.
To my delight, I was selected as one of the Health Industry Influencers of 2021. Every year, Media selects 100 influencers in the health industry and to my great honor; I received a nomination in the “Arjen parantajat” category. It is things like this that further strengthen our belief that we are doing the right thing.
A happy employee is our best business card
Leveraging digitalization and platform economy is essential for us to be able to organize the ever-growing team at Hoiwa in an agile manner. The system we use makes it easy to choose shifts and we are actively improving and developing the platform. On top of that, we have worked hard since the beginning to increase our visibility. We want existing and future members of the Hoiwa family to feel confident that we can do things better.
I want to help my clients by providing them with skilled and knowledgeable healthcare professionals even on an urgent schedule. In this short time we’ve already gotten many notable clients to serve. I strongly believe that our appreciation for our own employees is positively conveyed to the experiences we give our clients. A healthy and well-doing employee is motivated and resilient.
As I mentioned earlier, in this industry it’s the actions that matter. Without diligent, skilled and resilient members of the Hoiwa family, we would not be where we are today. Our most effective advertising campaign and business card are our employees, who offer their best skills in the field, and who show through their everyday actions that they matter and are cared for. It has been a pleasure to see that we are often contacted by both clients and potential new hires through referrals.
Hoiwa’s journey is still just beginning
We are happy with what we have already achieved, but it is not enough for us. There is still a lot of work to be done and the falling numbers of healthcare professionals threatens the whole healthcare sector. Where can we find new, skilled and resilient workers?
Our aim is to continue fighting for better working conditions and wages and to take the healthcare sector in a concentrically more humane direction. Actions are needed now and not “in a while”. For Hoiwa, this means significant growth in the future too. To support this growth, we will bring investors into our business, enabling us to better continue our fight for the future of the healthcare industry.