Photographer: Aleksi Kokora – Editor: Sems Erik
We have no doubt that many enjoy his sense of humor because his videos have become popular on social media in Finland, specifically through Instagram and TikTok. Thanks to his fame and local authorities, he’s carried out several awareness campaigns with companies, as well as the partnerships with many private Finnish companies to promote their services and products. Through the content he provides, one can see his influential ability to combine humor, awareness, and criticism of some aspects of daily life. Not only is he a creative young man who transformed his artistic acting skills into a tool to introduce his culture and criticism, but he’s also made a positive integration into society thanks to his knowledge, talents and fame in the Finnish local media.
Rodanny Mua
Originally from English Cameroon, I now live and work in Finland as an early childhood educator and a freelance content creator. I am 30 years old and hold a master’s degree in Educational Leadership with a minor study in Early Childhood Education from the University of Jyvaskyla.
I moved to Finland 8 years ago because of my studies. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree back in my home country, I wanted to further my studies. A couple of countries came to my mind, but Finland stood out the most. After reading about the country, I discovered that Finland has one of the best educated populations in the world. I came to understand that the Finnish educational system is characterized by its sustainability, which is based on the political consensus. Also, the fact that Finland grew from a poor agrarian country to a modern knowledge-based economy, all within a short period of time, motivated me to pursue my studies in the country.
My humor theme
Most of my ideas originate from my childhood experiences, as well as how I got integrated in the Finnish culture. When I first moved to Finland, I faced a lot of cultural shock from the weather, the food, the language, and many other things. Looking back at what I went through, I created humorous videos about my experiences. Living as a foreigner in Finland is not easy, so using humor to narrate my story allows things to be seen in a positive light.
“Like they say, laughter is a medicine. I think we can use humor to spread important information, which is exactly what I try to do in most of my videos.“
Sometime people misinterpret the humor about the two cultures taking it very seriously. Social media is not an easy place, as you know. Of course, no matter how much one might try to be positive, there are always some unhappy people who try to use negative comments. Finland is still a very young country when we talk about multiculturalism, so some people don’t feel comfortable.
Multiculturalism
My content Is all about creating awareness of the rich multicultural differences between Africa and Finland. Finland is gradually become a multicultural country, so my vision is for people to enhance their sense of openness from where we can positively enjoy our differences. I also encourage minorities in Finland to be proud to showcase their cultures, as well as embrace the Finnish culture.
So far, I have gotten amazing, valuable feedback from people in diverse communities. Most of the time, when people recognize me in public places, they walk up to me and start talking about how they enjoy my content. Personally, I believe Finland is gradually transitioning to a multicultural society, so I try to make my content in a relatable way that brings different cultures together. I have received an overwhelming amount of love from people, who have given me more energy to continue what I am doing.
Photographer: Aleksi Kokora – Editor: Sems Erik
Different integration influencer
Well, everything unfolded just like a surprise. I never intended to become a social media influencer. During the coronavirus pandemic, I was jobless. I downloaded TikTok and browsed through the app. After completing a pushup challenge that I came across, it went viral on TikTok. From there, followers started asking me about what my life was like in Finland. I started doing humorous videos about the African and Finnish cultures. I don’t consider myself different from other integration influencers. I am just telling my childhood stories from a humorous viewpoint, which is relatable to many.
When it comes to social media coverage and their impressions about me, the most common response is just love from people on social media. Their comments are always nice, and people have always encouraged me to continue making videos about the Finnish and African mothers’ reactions.
Satisfaction
So far, I have really enjoyed living here. I have been lucky to study here for free, and work professionally in Finland. I have met locals with great hearts, who helped me adapt to the Finnish culture. Learning the language has facilitated my life here. As a TikToker, I have been lucky to use TikTok as a platform to share my story and receive love from people out there, as well as in Finland.
My young partner
Well, I visited the U.S. last summer and my sister’s kid was excited about doing videos with me. We did a couple of videos together, which went viral. Most of the ideas came from him. He is a very bold and outgoing boy. In the future, I would like to create a YouTube channel with him, which is also his idea. I think we can really do some exciting videos in the future, as he certainly has what it takes to be a a fantastic content creator.
