‘Smile, it’s contagious’ with Tom Andreassen

1. You had all kinds of experiences: pleasant, painful, touching, unforgettable. After all these years and after all these feelings, what do you think is the purpose of life? What about your life?

(Du har vært gjennom  forskjellige erfaringer: gode, vonde, emosjonelle, viktige. etter så mange år og etter alle disse erfaringene, etter din mening hva er meningen med livet generelt? og ditt tilfelle?)

A really good but difficult question. Yes, I  have been through a lot, like I think most of the people who are 50+ been. But I think I have seen more than average because of my work in the social field here, Norway, and of course abroad. I have been working in Africa and Europe. And on my trips I saw people living in very bad conditions and even in war zones I’ve been working, during the Kosovo war in 1998. So, I think all this experiences together changed me to who I am today and gave me another platform. The meaning with our life should be to fill it with what makes you happy. Of course all of us need a work so we can earn our money for living etc but be careful what you choose. I started my work carrier in the railway company in Norway and just went to work for the money it gave me nothing else in return. Today I work in an institution for youngsters and also in Halden commune, where I help two boys who are handicapped. And this is where I belong, it gives me so much more than just the salary. So, in my life I try to fill it up with all the activities that makes me happy and I think we  should all try to not bother so much what others will think and just try to follow our dreams.
2. Smile is contagious is the name of your last campaign. Are people smiling enough nowadays?

(Smile it is contagious er navnet på ditt siste campanje. smiler menneskene nok i dag?)

No, I don’t think so.  Some people smile but it is far to much people who could smile more. My idea with this campaign is to show people that smile, positive attitudes, care and good deeds are contagious. And I think we all know it, but this small and simple «rule» we need to be reminded of from time to time. And it is so simple and so easy. One example: I was on my night shift in the institution where I work and my colleague came in the morning. I said: Good Morning my friend how are you today? and offered him a cup of coffee. Then, he said: Tom, when you work it is so nice to come here and my whole day gets better. Just because of a nice gesture, a smile and a cup of coffee… that’s all it takes.

3. Constantin Brancusi said that ‘things are not difficult to make; what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them.’ How difficult is it to be involved in humanitarian campaigns and how important are money for them?

(Constantin Brancusi sa at «det er ikke vanskelig å gjøre ting. det er vanskelig å komme i humøret av gjøre de tingene». Hvor vanskelig er det å involvere seg i hjelpearbeid? hvor viktig er pengene i en slik jobb?)

It is easy because it gives you so much in return. A lot of people say that I do so many  good things for others, and my answer is you should just know how much they give you back. So, when you get involved in a work like this, you will continue.  And of course we need money to help children and youngsters with f.ex education. But my NGO is a very small one and we manage to do quite a lot because everybody involved is voluntary. But my dream is that our new campaign here in Norway will have a least 200 members before 2013 is over, so we can help even more youngsters from the children homes with education and hopefully out to get work.
Each member have to pay 500,- NOK per year. And we will also do the same in Romania so people here as well can be a member of our campaign and help. The income from the campaign will be used for; activities and education for the kids in the children homes and some poor families that we will help.
4. You have enough time for everyone. Do you still have time for yourself?

(Har du tid for alle? Har du tid for deg selv etter på?)

Of course not time enough for all but this is also why we all the time look for new voluntaries. One cant help all but all can help one.  And I think it is very important in my kind of work to see individuals and what your work means for them. If we start to look at the whole picture and at all poor kids or families in Romania or another country, it will seem impossible and you will feel that you cant help them all. From time to time, I tell my family and wife that I am a busy man and the most important is not quantity time but quality time, so yes I feel I have time enough for my self and my family.
5. After all the collaborations with foreign, but also Romanian artists (like Paula Seling), how important is art for those in need?

(Etter sammarbeidet med mange artister utenlandske og rumenske( vi nevner her paula Seling), hvor viktig er kunsten for de som trenger hjelp?)

I think it is very important the work we have done so far in the cultural area. Music, art, photography or writing is important for the kids and its also a tool we use for collecting money for our projects. I also think when we present Romanian artists in Norway or Norwegian artists in Romania that we build some bridges between our countries. And to use any kind of art in therapy, I know its working. I will again give an example. Many years ago I worked with drug users here in Norway, and they had a lack of self confidence and I thought them photography. The very first time we was in the darkroom and developed the pictures ( this was before digital), one of the guys looked at his picture and then looked at me and he was so proud. This was the first time he produced something of his own. And this really gave him a lot of confidence.
6. Describe Norway in three words and tell me why we should go there, if we haven’t yet.

(Kan du beskrive norge i 3 ord og fortell meg hvorfor vi bør  besøke landet hvis ikke vi har besøkt landet  ennå.)

Fiords, midnight sun and northern light. I think Norway is worth a visit because of the specialties we have and they are mentioned in my tree words. People from abroad who visited Norway really liked when they went to the western part of our country and drove the  car more than 1000 meter above the sea level and under they can see the fjord, it is very nice.
7. You said in an interview for Radio Lynx that you can take children off the street, but you can’t get the street out of them. How important is family in an individual’s life? Can it make up for the material poverty?

(Du har sagt i et intervju for radio lynx at man kan ta barn bort fra gata men man kan ikke ta ut gaten fra barn. Hvor viktig er familien i ens liv? Kan familien kompensere fattidom?)

It is very important to have a family, friends and a positive network around you and this was also the conclusion when we was working with the street children in 1996 to 2002. The children had their friends and they belonged to a community when they lived there and of course to take that away from them was a crises in their life. So, I think our feeling for belonging to a place, community is very important. This community could be the family, relatives, friends or a group in the street. I  work in the department of child protection here in Norway, and here  i see too many parents who don’t see, listen and touch their own children. Because of that they  try to find their place  somewhere else and sometimes in a not so very positive group. I think that family can compensate for poverty sometimes. I have seen in Africa people who lived in very very poor conditions, but they were still kind of happy. I think in situations who are rough for us, we need more than ever to stay together and if we do that, yes, a family can compensate poverty and find a way out of it. In the opposite case, I have seen  many families destroyed because of that, because they couldn’t find solutions and ways out of it.