“Interpreting is my way of giving back the good that I have received.”

Interpreter's story

Interpreter's story

“Interpreting is my way of giving back the good that I have received.”

Cheeman Tahir, who came to Finland through an arranged marriage, became an interpreter to help women who are in the same situation she once was.

It’s a sunny Thursday in Louhela, Vantaa. Cheeman Tahir’s two school-aged sons are busy with their own activities in the living room as their mother puts on her headphones and begins her first interpreting assignment of the day in her home office. She takes a deep breath, puts on a cheerful smile and gets to work.

– It has always been important for me to spread positivity and joy to those around me. Interpreting situations are often difficult for the customers, and a cheerful attitude from the interpreter provides them with a sense of security, says Cheeman.

The children are used to their mother working from home. Cheeman has plenty of clients, as she possesses exceptional language skills. She interprets in Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, Sorani, Badini, and Kurmanji. All of these languages have been needed throughout her career.

– I have always been good with languages. My native language is Kurdish, but my parents also spoke Persian and Arabic with each other at home. My former spouse, on the other hand, was Turkish, Cheeman lists.

Cheeman has been working as an interpreter for decades because she wants to help people who are in the same situation she was in the early 1990s. However, she takes assignments based on her own capacity and well-being.

A woman’s place

Cheeman arrived in Finland from Northern Iraq via Turkey and Russia in 1992, following an arranged marriage to an older man who had already fled to the country due to the war.

– It was a tough experience for a young girl to move to a new country without knowing the language or the culture. At that time, there were no immigration services available, so I learned Finnish and about everyday life in Finland with the help of friends I made through my family and the church.

Cheeman dreamed of having a different life in Finland than what was possible in Iraq. She wanted to study, work, and advance in her career. However, she soon realized that her place in the marriage would be at home, essentially between the fist and the stove. Her first three children were born in the years following her getting married, and Cheeman stayed home to care for them.

Soon, her husband began showing signs of radicalization. Cheeman was not allowed to live as freely as she had hoped.

– I couldn’t go to school or work; I had to stay at home. That’s when the violence also began, Cheeman explains.

Cheeman fled the violent relationship and went to Norway to stay with her relatives. However, she had to leave her children behind in Finland, as taking them with her was impossible in the situation. Cheeman missed her children so much that she had no choice but to return.

– I had to submit, even though I knew that life wasn’t for me. I still wanted to do more than just have babies and do housework, but I couldn’t live without my children, she recalls.

Finally, in 2004, Cheeman gathered her courage and filed for divorce, even though she didn’t know how she would manage as an uneducated single mother. To put food on the table, she worked in cafés and also started receiving interpreting assignments. She also dreamed of studying.

A new chapter in life

In 2007, Cheeman met a Turkish man at her workplace and fell head over heels in love. The man was kind, polite, and hardworking. He seemed like the complete opposite of her violent ex-husband.

The couple quickly got married and had three children. They also started developing the man’s automotive business and together bought several companies, which they expanded and grew into successful enterprises. Life was abundant.

In 2014, Cheeman began studying to become a practical nurse. It was the fulfillment of a dream for her, as she had always wanted to pursue education.

– Studying was wonderful. I finally got to do exactly what I wanted. I love learning new things, she sighs.

After obtaining a residence permit for Finland, Cheeman’s husband gradually began to change. He became distant and mean. Cheeman discovered that he had been exploiting her financially to fund his business ventures. He had conducted transactions solely in his own name, excluding Cheeman from them. Physical violence also re-entered the picture.

– I thought, not again. This time, I refused to submit to the situation. I took my children with me and moved out of our shared home.

Interpreters work is well-suited for immigrants

After her second divorce, Cheeman stayed home for a long time. Both she and her children needed time to recover from the traumatic situation. Cheeman used this time to study psychology and history through an open university.

When the Covid-19 pandemic began, Cheeman decided to study full-time and quickly qualified as a business and administrative professional. She started helping other immigrant women find jobs. At the same time, the number of her interpreting assignments also increased.

– Interpreting services are a big deal for immigrants who don’t speak the language or understand the country’s customs. There is a great need for it, says Cheeman.

Cheeman has been working with Youpret since the spring of 2024. She has appreciated how smooth the collaboration has been. Once, she got lost on her way to an assignment and, in a bit of a panic, called the office, where they promptly sent her a map and directions.

– And in the end, I wasn’t even late! she exclaims.

For Cheeman, being on time is a matter of honor. She says that the role of an interpreter is important in many ways. Someone may have been a victim of a crime or misconduct, another might be in a completely new life situation, for example, due to the addition of a new family member, or someone may have just lost a loved one. When these events occur in a foreign culture, they take on different dimensions.

– Immigration is a big process that changes a person. The fact that I understand things from an immigrant’s perspective helps a lot. Even though the interpreter’s role is to be neutral, empathy is always helpful, Cheeman notes.

For Cheeman herself, Finnish agencies have been essential along the way, as authorities from various fields have always been there to help her. She feels that she has always been acknowledged and seen as her true self.

– Interpreting is my way of giving back to this country the good that I have received.

Cheeman believes that interpreting work is an excellent fit for immigrants. The job provides a great deal of learning about Finnish society and, more broadly, the world and people. An interpreter’s background can be practically, from a doctor to a salesperson.

– A good interpreter is open, social, honest, and genuine. And it’s only a plus if you’ve seen a bit of life, Cheeman says with a cheerful laugh.

Strength from Finnish nature

During the difficult phases of her life, Cheeman found solace and strength in nature. After her first divorce, she started jogging regularly and fell in love with the Finnish forest, where the sturdy trees seemed to radiate vitality.

– I have shed many tears in the forest and, on the other hand, also found many answers there. Even now, I often head for a walk in the forest after a workday. There, my mind calms in a way it doesn’t anywhere else.

Swimming in natural waters is also a beloved hobby for Cheeman, and she has been bitten by the good old cabin bug. Cheeman has spent time at cottages with her family across various parts of Finland, both at rental cottages and friends’ places.

– Actually, I just returned from a cottage in Rauma. Life in the midst of nature is so empowering, she says.

One dream that still awaits fulfillment is spending a night under the starry sky in a tent. Cheeman hasn’t dared to do that yet.

– But I will one day. It will definitely be worth it, she smiles.

Text: Annika Lius
Pictures: Antti Rintala

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