The First Mobile Information And Learning Service For Asylum Seekers Is Launched Today

Funzilife Inc. launches a service for asylum seekers that delivers reliable information to mobile phone users. The service is easy to use and applies to all immigrants. It is initially available in an English version with multiple language versions under development. Funzi’s service contains trustworthy information from official sources that will enable immigrants to operate more efficiently and find the authorities in different stages of immigration. The service is free for the user.

The first learning package launched in Finland ”About Finland” helps to develop skills that can be utilized in everyday life and that contribute to the student’s integration into Finnish society. The first learning package consists of five courses relating to Finland, language and communication skills, everyday life and legal rights.

”We want to give asylum seekers easily understandable information to facilitate everyday life in Finland”, states Tero Salonen, CEO Funzilife. ”In addition, we want to offer the authorities a way to reach asylum seekers and guide with correct information”. Originally Funzi has been developed for the emerging markets and the service is in use in several African countries in teaching entrepreneurship and job skills. Funzi is designed mobile first for circumstances where the widest screen available for information sharing is a mobile phone.

Additionally Funzi provides mobile courses for employment and entrepreneurship, which can help immigrants bring their professional skills to the labor market. In the future the learning content will be expanded in cooperation with local companies.

The service is available for use worldwide, and the company plans to expand its operations. “Country specific learning packages for asylum seekers will be published throughout the EU. No other similarly effective and scalable service for immigrant integration exists", states Tero Salonen. Funzi is looking for co-operation partners to create country specific information.

"The current refugee situation the entire EU is facing is a historical and extremely challenging one. We believe that with Funzi's learning platform we can strengthen and channel the potential of the refugees in a way that is meaningful both to the refugees themselves as well as for the surrounding society" says Tuula Antola, Director for Economic and Business Development at the City of Espoo.

For further information:

Tero Salonen, CEO, Funzi

Tel: +358 40 506 2440

Email: tero@funzi.fi

Funzi communications: press@funzi.fi

Service available at funzi.mobi.

Press Kit: http://bit.ly/1PNGor3

Founded in 2014, Funzilife Inc. produces mobile learning and information services. The first courses focused on job skills and entrepreneurship. The courses are designed to meet the information and educational needs of emerging markets. In 2015 Funzi launched services for asylum seekers arriving to Europe.

One of Funzi’s design principles is that quality learning should be free to users. All learning outcomes have an immediate, practical impact on the lives of the users. Funzi is designed mobile-first and optimized in every aspect for the screen that is most widely used in today’s world. Funzi is available at http://funzi.mobi, as a part of Facebook’s Internet.org in seven different countries, and as an Android app. Funzi takes its name from funza, that means learning in Swahili.