We are so happy to feature Tiffany who will present the project titled, The Oslo Phoenix, at our event on March 24th, 2019!  Read more about the project below:

Project Description

The Oslo Phoenix is for mammas who want a career change or to learn new skills. For many of us, our pre-baby careers don’t fit the women we are today. Your values change, your future shifts, you grow in ways you never could have anticipated. At the same time, maternity leave is a lonely place. You forget how to talk to other adults, the world outside your door feels like foreign territory and your current skills include remembering to pour milk on your cereal instead of coffee. Sometimes it feels like you have nothing left in you to give. But that is not true. Becoming a parent unleashes so much potential in you. You just need to tap into it. That’s why The Oslo Phoenix provides a community for mammas to do just that. The Oslo Phoenix will offer a mentor scheme to match mammas with someone who works in the field they want to shift into; online and in-person workshops to learn new skills such as data analysis and copywriting; inspiring lecture series from mammas who have made the shift; and an online forum to connect with others who know exactly how you feel. We will aim for every event to be scheduled at a nap-friendly time and will ensure mammas and their little ones will have all the comfort they need, from breastfeeding pillows to toys. The Oslo Phoenix will start off as a website with all of the above, specifically for mammas in Oslo. In the long run, I aim to also run an internship programme with companies that fully support working mammas and the skills they are working to develop. I also want to note that The Oslo Phoenix’s main target demographic is mammas on maternity leave but is of course open to mammas who are already working. In the future, perhaps The Oslo Phoenix can expand to help mammas everywhere unleash their newfound potential.

Why does this idea matter to you?

In the winter of 2016, I was alone with a sick baby for 11 hours per day in the depths of Nesodden countryside and I fell into postpartum depression that didn’t start lifting until May 2018. My self-worth took a hit: yes, I was my baby’s rock but I felt like I was nothing more than that. I didn’t see the compassion I had grown, the new skills I had developed or the unbreakable strength I had built. My values in the outer world shifted but my self-value took a hit. I am lucky to have found people who pointed out to me how much I have grown from being a mamma and I realised that the career I wanted pre-baby didn’t fit me anymore. I don’t want any other mamma to feel like she will never have her own sense of identity again or to lose sight of what she has to offer the world. I want to help mammas grow, be who they want to be and lead the life they want, on their terms – all while doing the incredible job of raising a human. I truly believe becoming a parent equips you with so much strength and skills. Sometimes you just need a tribe to pick you up and help you walk down the path you want.

How will you idea make Oslo a better place?

In the big picture, The Oslo Phoenix will improve (1) Oslo’s labour ecosystem by helping mammas get into careers they love – making it more likely they will stay and (2) improve mental health issues amongst mammas in Oslo.

How will you use the micro-grant funding to realize your concept?

The first step will be to set up a simple website, with the intention of explaining this mission and building a newsletter to keep everyone updated. Buying the domain and website host will be around 500-600 NOK for a year. The next expenditure following this will be hosting an in-person lecture series to kickstart the network – the theme for this is not yet decided and I think I will ask the community what they want.