Seminologist Mihraban Namiq
Mihraban Namiq came to Finland when she was nine years old, the child of a family of refugees from the city of Kirkuk, in northern Iraq. Now grown up, today she lives in the city of Espoo, but works in the countryside as a seminologist. Namiq often gets to tell farmers about her background, culture and religion. It is important in their work that seminologists gain the trust of the cattle owners.
Mihraban Namiq is 26. Her father was afraid of getting caught up in a war, and so he took his family out of the country in 1987, first to Iran and later to Turkey. Finland received them as refuges in 1990.
From the reception centre at Hauho, the family moved to Lahti, then to Tampere, and finally to Espoo in 1997. Her father delivers vegetables to restaurants. Her mother trained as a cook after leaving school, and now she works, and is studying to become a family day-care provider.
“My parents are an example of how education and enterprise are worth the effort. They worked hard and also ensured that their child had a chance to enjoy her hobbies. I have practised kung fu for five years and have also worked as a sports coach.”
After high school Namiq gained a basic qualification in agriculture in the special area of plant and vegetable production, continued her studies. and trained in the area of artificial insemination to become a seminologist. She has now worked for four years as a seminologist with Osuuskunta Jalostuspalvelu (Cooperative Breeding Service).
“It might sound strange that a woman raised in the city should look for a rural occupation. My sisters and friends wondered about my choice of profession. The smell of cattle farms on my clothes horrifies them. But my parents took a more encouraging view. All my family on my father’s side were farmers in northern Iraq.”
“Keeping a farm is demanding but vitally important work. Not everyone could do it.”
At the start of the working day she switches on her computer at home where she receives orders from cattle owners. She checks to see if there is the necessary number of bull semen doses in the nitrogen tank, marks the visits on her map, and sets off.
Here territory extends from Karjaa to Sipoo and Porvoo. The northernmost farms are located in Vihti, Hyvinkää and Mäntsälä. She will drive up to three hundred kilometres each working day.
“I’ve been on around 300 farms, and to some places more than once. I am always treated well. I used to have time to chat to people, and I like to sit down and have a cup of coffee, but my schedules are so tight now that there is barely any time for coffee breaks.”
She makes about 10 farm visits a day. On one farm she might have several inseminations to carry out. A seminologist’s work calls for precision and an excellent knowledge of hygiene. Artificial insemination can fail if the timing is wrong. Success also depends on feeding, the general condition of the animal and whether the animal is in season. Namiq also does pregnancy checks and attaches ear tags.
Every now and then Namiq is on call for the district of Hämeenlinna. She works independently, and to all intents and purposes, alone. She only actually meets any of her colleagues on training days organised by her employer and at recreational events. Namiq has no plans for the future but will continue working as a seminologist as long as the work and the enthusiasm last.
“It’s awful how the small farms are vanishing from the countryside. Farming families can’t always find anyone to continue the business or farms can’t afford to make big investments. Farmers ought to be encouraged, because our daily bread comes from the land.”
Text and photograph: Anu Likonen, Jukka Vuolle and Nanni Akkola
The Ministry of Employment and the Economy