Communication in its various forms is the unifying factor in my work history. As an adult, I became interested in studying again, and SeAmk's announcement about a "rural developer" caught my attention. So, from the background of a city girl, I bravely decided to study as an agrologist.
Although at the beginning of my studies I thought I would completely change my field, I soon realized that I also need to strengthen my previous skills. As someone with an entrepreneurial background, I got even more excited about strategic development.
I like planning, analyzing and writing, but the concrete is also important to me. How this is done in practice is also an essential question in development.
In my work with the villages, I need and can make use of everything I have done so far. In particular, my previous job description at ProAgria in farm risk management is a good basis for my task.
Experience of village life
With our family, we have lived village life in Ilmajoki for 20 years while the children live at home. For the past three years, my husband and I have been renovating an old house in the foothills and moved a step further from the provincial center to Peräseinäjoki's Kihniänkylä. After we moved, we thought about what kind of contribution we want to make to the village. The result of the report was: what kind of village do we want to live in, that's the contribution we make.
The lights shining through the windows are becoming rarer in many villages. This is both sad and creates insecurity. Where is help when you need it? I hope that by developing the safety and sense of community in the villages, the new generations will also be interested and see living in the villages as a meaningful opportunity.
It is said that deserted villages are in no one's interest, and I fully subscribe to that statement. This is also related to the other side, which went well for us. My husband and I found the item for sale as a result of years of searching and dreaming. The house was not left to fall into disrepair, but it was able to be abandoned and thus the continuity of both the house and partly the village was made possible.
I am Mari Viljanmaa and my title in Liiver is village expert. You can contact me in matters related to the development of villages and when you want to share the location information of a large funnel wafer deposit with someone.