Check out our past oslo soup winners!

September 25th, 2022 Winner – Tegn og Trall

In Mel’s words – Tegn og Trall is an original and colourful course in baby sign language where parents learn baby signs through fun songs about every day life. Babies enjoy the music while the parents learn the signs, that they in turn practice at home. The magic begins when the signs are used back by the little ones. There’s a lot to look forward to! Sign, play and sign away!

November 28th, 2021 Winner – BOXFEM

In Sandra’s words – an empowerment and wellness program for women. BOXFEM offers a safe space where women get in touch with their inner (and outer!) power through boxing. Through her own teaching methodology, BOXFEM’s founder Sandra wishes to make the transformative aspects of boxing widely available, and leave out the violence.

September 27th, 2020 Winner – The Milk & Oil Company

In Kate’s words – As a postpartum professional in Oslo, my hope is to empower the postpartum experience by raising awarenNoess on connection between postnatal care and maternal health. I provide support, information and care to Oslo mothers in this crucial yet vulnerable period: caring for mothers so they can care for their children.

_________________________________________________________________________________

December 8th, 2019 Winner – JOY for the children, youth and families of Grønland

JOY and Vindskift

In Marit’s wordsJOY is concerned with the leisure time of children and youth, and therefore also families, in the inner city area of Grønland in Oslo, where there is a great degree of social challenges and crime surrounding us every day, due to unemployment, poverty amonf immigrant families and a generally high degree og conflict between many individuals. JOY contributes mainly through establishing safe places to meet, and at present JOY offers an after school programme (“fritidsklubb”) for children aged 8-13 and similar project on weekends for older kids aged 13-18. Of course we offer a programme to help with homework for kids, youth and adults. We also run a family Café on Grønland for parents and children, presently two Sundays per month, with nice food and fun activities for the children. In addition we offer activities during the summer holidays, as well as offering free rental of boats on Akerselva on Grønland for an enjoyable visit on the fjord – a unique way to experience our beloved Grønland and Oslo. The idea is simple: happy children – happier community. All people working in the projects have minority backgrounds and are positive role models for the kids, which I believe is very important in a place where several kids and youth are recruited into the business of drug dealing.

September 1, 2019 Winner – Simple Repair Corner

Simple Repair CornerIn Natasza’s words… Simple Repair Corner is a physical space in the center where people can come and repair their clothes by themselves, with a guidance from an amateur who knows the basics. For it is basics we are talking about here, things that everyone could do if they had the tools and a little extra motivation, like a social opportunity. Lots of clothes are being tossed away due to minor imperfections. You will not fatigue yourself with submitting it to a tailor, that’s an overkill. But who has a needle or the right color of thread, or a spare zipper? This place is open daily from 16 to 19, because it uses the opening hours of a cafe or a library. The push to use it is your favorite sweater getting a hole, or your the news about the gigantic carbon footprint the clothing industry has. The pull is the welcoming, casual atmosphere and a cup of fair trade coffee, showing that you care about minimizing the burden your consumption creates on the ecosystem. I know some organizations are trying to create a monthly events for repairs. But often they suffer from the shortage of professionals to guide the repairs. We are talking about simple repairs that don’t require a skilled volunteer, but anyone who’s tried it once before can give you a hand if you’re unsure. There is no sign up, no fee, just a simple drop-in. Simplicity and cooperation with an existing venue, volunteer input and the warm feeling you get from achieving something by yourself and in a company of others who understand the importance of the little stuff.

March 24, 2019 Winner – Voksenenga Nærmiljøhage

In Ampy’s words… Voksenenga Nærmiljohage is a community garden that focuses on growing organic vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruits and berries. Young and old come together to learn, build and share in the community spirit.  During the spring, summer and fall, school groups take part in workshops, seniors come to take part in social activities, families from near and far join to work and play, sharing their cultures, love of nature and get our hands dirty while growing friendships and good food.

The welcoming spirit at Voksenenga makes it a place where no matter your experience level or interest, everyone has a role to play. The connections made as we work during the growing season and the bounty at the end of harvest, creates a deep sense of community. This project serves as a template to develop other unused parcels of lands in the city and create a space that brings people together.

http://www.voksenenga.no/

November 11, 2018 Winner – Inklusive Books

In Michell’s words… Inklusive Books is a recently established publishing house whose mission is to bring diversity to the children’s literature scene in Norway. The company will introduce a diversity of authors, stories and characters to children’s literature in the Norwegian languages, starting with translating existing literature into Bokmål and Nynorsk. In the long term, I hope to support Norwegian language writers to publish children’s literature. So far, we have translated 6 open source titles and I would like to buy the rights to three more books for publishing in 2019.

I believe that every person deserves to be seen and for their existence in the society that they call home (and the world at large) to be acknowledged and validated through positive representation and interactions. I believe that the sooner this happens in the life of a person, the better. Norwegian children’s literature currently does not reflect the diversity of people that is found in Oslo and Arkeshus; which means that children with a minority background have no positive representations of themselves in the books that their parents can readily access, in the language that speak and that needs to change – both for their own benefit and for the benefit of society.

For children of minority background, seeing themselves in books can make them feel validated; included and inspired. Children of majority background will get to engage positively with diversity through books.

Apart from building the corporate image and constructing the website (which are both in progress), the next step in the process is to print copies of the translated books to use for readings; as well as to introduce the products to the market. The grant would help with printing 100 copies to introduce at Tøyen Christmas market; as well as print larger copies for readings that are being organised for that market; as well as with local libraries.

www.inklusivebooks.no

June 10, 2018 Winner – Suzalingua

ISuzanne’s words… “I run a tiny little language school (www.suzalingua.no), which is located at home at our kitchen table. I teach Norwegian and specialize in courses which reflect the environment they are situated in: small, cozy, personal and friendly. My regular courses have a maximum of 5 participants (though I generally try not to have more than four people in a group), so that every student gets the attention and help they need. It’s very important for me to create a supportive environment where everybody feels relaxed and positive enough to study. A lot of my students have tried other schools before, but they felt overwhelmed by big classrooms where they got no attention. Most of them are are women…

The other important aspect of my school are the “bring your baby” classes. I offer language courses where mums and dads on parental leave can bring their baby to class. As the classes are held in my home, I can offer all the facilities (and toys) that babiesand toddlers need, so it’s usually easy enough to keep the babies busy while their parents learn Norwegian. The “bring your baby” classes move more slowly than regular classes to allow for nappy changes and breast-feeding, and they form a central part of my school. Apart from those special courses I also have a policy of always allowing one baby, even in “regular” courses.

It is my main aim to offer a venue for women who struggle to get integrated in Norway, and who need a supportive environment to learn the language (which in turn can help them to feel more accepted in society here). Here they can not only learn Norwegian, but also meet other parents and get lots of practical information about being a parent in Oslo. I am a foreigner and a mum myself, and after 11 years in Norway and three kids I have a lot of information to share!”

https://www.suzalingua.no/

March 18, 2018 Winner – Network for Work

In Nikol’s words… “Our project wants to help trailing spouses re-build their network that would enable them to use their skills, knowledge and experience in a position they are qualified for. We want to facilitate integration and inclusion of the trailing spouses while utilising their potential for the benefit of the local community and the society as a whole. We want to complement the integration arrangements offered through already existing schemes.
We want to help create networks and find paid and unpaid positions for the trailing spouses via engaging representatives from open-minded companies, organisations, and recruiters. We also want to organise lectures on work and non-work related topics, Norwegian language course, and provide a meeting place for those who want to get to know new people and share a coffee and chat.
Our aim is to build a day centre that will primarily cater to the needs of trailing spouses whose other obligations do not allow them to attend evening arrangements. An important aspect of the day centre concept is a baby-friendly environment that will enable parents attend events with their child should they need or prefer to.”

November 26, 2017 Winner – SnapBack

Photo courtesy of Antara Photography

In Annichen’s words… “SnapBack is a training group for mothers with babies/toddlers/kids or mothers to be who live in or around Oslo. A group for mothers who want to get back in shape and meet other amazing mothers living in the city. Main focus are mothers on maternity leave. SnapBack wants to inspire mothers to come out and be active together with their children. The City has many fitness gyms and some have childcare where you can leave your kids while you workout. But SnapBack is different, here you can bring your kids along and workout while they are there. If they are small babies up to toddlers we can easily include them in the workout if they are restless. It is a great way for mothers to get out there without feeling any pressure. We have a come as you are principle and the workouts we do are for all no matter what shape or form you are in. The group is run by volunteer mothers who are genuinely interested in working out and organizing workouts. We have been lucky to meet many amazing moms who have inspired other moms in the group and we continuously work on adding more volunteer moms who are on maternity leave to take over the torch when the maternity leave for one mom is up. With SnapBack you are setting a good example for your child.”

August 27, 2017 Winner – Young Storytellers

Photo Courtesy of Antara Photography

In Aaron’s words… “I want to bring The Young Storytellers program to Oslo! YS is a non-profit company based out of Los Angeles, CA. I have been involved with the program for five years. We believe that every child has a story to tell. We connect what is in their hearts with what is in their minds and a story is born! I lead a class with ten students and ten adult mentors and for ten weeks, for an hour each week, we meet at their school and create magic. Each session is led by a head mentor and consists of imaginative physical games, a curriculum dealing with the elements of storytelling and writing a screenplay. At the end of the ten weeks the students have a five page screenplay of their original story. This five page screenplay is then performed by actors on a stage in front of students, parents, faculty and friends. Each child gains something different from the experience but they definitely feel empowered, creative, confident, and happy. This is an awesome program!

Children are the future and creativity matters. Oslo, and Norway, deserve to have their children benefit from this program. Being creative, stepping out of your comfort zone, starting and finishing a project, inspiring others, learning, being a part of a group, gaining confidence. The program is rewarding for the students, the mentors, the community and the school system.”


April 2, 2017 Co-Winners – Norske Sanger Prosjekt & Greenspace Initiative at the Ila Asylum Center

 In Bree’s words (Norske Sanger Prosjekt)… “Oslo residents are invited to participate in a project to learn Norwegian folk songs, Norwegian rounds, and songs *inspired* by the folk tradition. The group will also have the opportunity to speak together in both Norwegian and English about Norway and life in Oslo.The conversational aspect of the project will have both a formal component, in the form of a non-compulsary language café before the class each week, and an informal component in the form of the connections and meetings among participants in the weekly classes. The project will be comprised of Norwegians, immigrants who have come to Norway for various reasons of some level of choice (love, work, study) and immigrants with refugee background. (A more or less balanced number of each). The project will be either free for all participants, or very affordable, and free for those who apply for scholarship. (Depending on how much funding received).

The project will run for one year, divided into two semesters: Autumn 2017 and Winter/Spring 2018. At the end of the first semester the group will perform about 5 of their songs at a concert shared with one of the choirs I direct. (Dagsangerne på Sagene, for example). At the end of the year, in June, the group will put on a concert for the Oslo community (for example at “Sentralen”) where they will 1. Perform all the songs they have learned in their time together, 2. speak about their experience with the project and 3. speak about their life in Oslo.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilverkingSinging

In Anne-Marthe’s words (Greenspace Initiative)… “The Greenspace Initiative is working group that helps organize gardening projects for refugees and asylum seekers in Norway. Our work focuses on skills development, health, and partnerships. We believe that gardening initiatives generate knowledge sharing and skills beyond agriculture, thus building the capacity of both individuals and communities. This contributes to a healthier and happier life for refugees. This planting season, we are working to establish a garden at the new reception center at Alexander Kiellends plass (Ila). Ila opened its doors in September, 2016 and houses refugees new to Norway from all corners of the globe. It is important to us that this is a community-led project therefore buy-in from refugees is key. So far, we have 14 refugees participating in the project. We have met and begun the design process, including planning for the planting season. Many come from agriculture backgrounds so they are eager to learn about what grows in Norway and eager to get growing. We hope to win money from Oslo soup to start a garden at the Ila reception center.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RefugeeGreenspace


December 11, 2016 Winner – Made in Tøyen (Laura and Shamsa)

Laura and Shamsa rocked it for Tøyen Unlimited.

In Laura’s words… “As founders of two different social enterprises we have 3 things in common: we live in Tøyen, we are women working with other women and we come from East Africa. Together we want to leverage our knowledge, heritage and networks to up-lift Tøyen (our community).

This matters to KULMIS as it is a big part of our work to make the organisation self-sustainable and the members of KULMIS have the opportunity to apply and gain an income from their new skills.

This matters to Tøyen because it is experiencing rapid social change and local communities are missing out or being pushed out. Our goal is to offer the most disengaged the skills to work and define their own narrative.

This matters to Oslo as “Made in Tøyen” celebrates Oslo’s diversity and raises the profile of migrate communities in a positive way.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Made.in.Toyen/


August 28, 2016 Winner – Fashion for Good (Deborah Ferrari)

15-66In Deborah’s words… “As a style consultant I want to create a project to work with support groups for people with low self esteem (suffering from depression, eating disorders, etc), helping them to be satisfied and confident about their image. I plan to do it through presentations, one-to-one sessions with the participants, explaining them the colours, styles and shapes which suit them and their personality, making them feel comfortable and happy about their image.

We are living in a period where our image has never been so judged. People are getting obsessed with having the ‘perfect’ body and the frustration for not reaching certain standards not rarely boosts or triggers a psychological disease. Oslo, not different than any other big city, has a lot of people suffering from psychological problems and I truly believe that using the fashion approach can help people to find their own unique beauty and style. My idea is to show people they can feel their best without mirroring in anyone else, but searching for their own style, based in their own personality.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborahferraristyle/


April 10, 2016 Winner – Oslofjord (Jessica Williams)

thumb_IMG_4375_1024

In Jessica’s words…I am on the trail of conspicuous plastic in Oslo. Through regular visits to Oslofjord, I have started a collection of curious plastic artefacts, or “beach plastic”: pieces of styrofoam and plastic that have been molded by the sun and waves to resemble familiar natural objects such as pebbles or shells. Unfortunately there is a seemingly endless supply and my collection grows rapidly.

The project will be manifested in a book of photos and field sketches, from Oslofjord, local grocery stores and construction sties. Why these places? They are where most of the beach plastic originally comes from. The book will be released by Hverdag Books, my new small press. In addition, I will offer tours where I show small groups around the islands in Oslofjord. There we will hunt beach plastic together and I will talk about the history of plastic in Norway. The goal for the project is to highlight our consumption of plastic and how it has affected Oslofjord over recent years.”

Follow her online at www.jessicawilliams.info and www.hverdagbooks.com 🙂