TRT in Finland: Achievements from the Mannerheim Foundation’s “ROHKEE!” project
On October 23rd, Unni Marie Gulla Heltne delivered a lecture during the Finnish ROHKEE! project’s closing webinar titled “The History of Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) and Using TRT in Different Contexts Worldwide”. It was inspiring to learn about the project’s impact and to celebrate the team’s achievements.
The ROHKEE! project is conducted by the Mannerheim Foundation for Child Welfare (MLL), one of Finland’s leading child welfare organisations, and was launched to support children, young people, and families arriving from war and crisis areas. This EU co-funded initiative combines psychosocial recovery, integration, and empowerment through structured interventions and community-based activities. Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) was among the key tools used to equip participants with essential coping skills. The project team received specialised training and supervision in TRT, extending its benefits beyond children affected by war and disasters, with notable achievements for individuals and communities.
A total of 112 children and young people participated in the TRT groups, with 83 adults joining the TRT parent groups. Weekly integration activities and trips were also highly successful, engaging over 300 youth, and 169 participants also attended the 8-week ROHKEE! follow-up groups.
The project adopts a multilingual and inclusive approach, offering services in eight languages: Arabic, Somali, Dari, French, Ukrainian, Russian, English, and Finnish. As a result, support reached children and youth from 18 different nationalities, with 132 receiving career and study guidance in their native language and 115 benefiting from individual psychosocial support. Additionally, project volunteers supported 42 children through regular weekly meetings.
The broader community impact of ROHKEE! is also evident, with active involvement from students at 49 schools across Helsinki and Vantaa. To date, the project has facilitated over 2,500 encounters with participating children and young people (3,200 when including undocumented individuals).
Congratulations to the ROHKEE! team for their inspiring work in supporting children and families affected by war, showing the impact of recovery, inclusion, and hope.
