Gabriela Bancuța finds new hope in literacy and work at Iso Numero in Helsinki

Gabriela “Gaby” Bancuțan begins her workday early, selling the magazine Iso Numero amidst the morning hustle until eight o’clock. After her shift, she attends school to learn reading and writing. Although Bancuța is nearly 40 years old and a mother of three, gaining literacy in her native Romanian Roma community was practically impossible. In Finland, however, she is making gradual progress. Along with literacy, she’s also learning the basics of the Finnish language, steadily improving her vocabulary and sentence structure.

Her day is long; school usually ends around 1 PM, after which Bancuța continues selling the magazine until the evening. Finding a job in Finland as an illiterate, uneducated foreigner is nearly impossible. Iso Numero, primarily a street magazine, offers Bancuța and around 300 other sellers an opportunity to earn an income. On good weeks, she can make a few hundred euros, which is not much considering the high cost of living in the capital region, especially since she sends a large portion of her earnings back to Romania to support her children and grandchildren.

Iso Numero’s office is located in Helsinki’s Sörnäinen district, where a vibrant atmosphere fills the space as vendors come in and chat with the editor and CEO in Romanian. It is estimated that half of the sellers are not proficient in reading or writing, making it challenging for many to find other employment.

The magazine is currently facing serious financial difficulties, prompting a crowdfunding campaign to stabilize its operations. Economic challenges like the recent pandemic, rising prices due to the war in Ukraine, and cuts in government support have severely impacted its finances. With around 60% of its revenue stemming from sales, and notable cuts in public funding this year, the future remains uncertain. The potential closure of Iso Numero would leave many vendors, like Bancuța, in precarious positions, as finding alternative employment would be extremely difficult.