Mina Hjärtefrågor
“I see this (exhibition) as a favor they do to the public. They share their innermost thoughts, and we get the opportunity to take part in it ”
Vad är dina hjärtefrågor? This Swedish word “hjärtefrågor” translates literally as “heart questions” and means “what are the things that matter to you the most?”
In the light of the upcoming Swedish election this September, a group of foreign-born women who work at Yalla Rinkeby were asked this question, as part of photographic exhibition Mina Hjärtefrågor held at Kulturhuset Vällingby.
In order to answer this question, the women went on the 6-month transformative journey of learning, discovery, reflections and a lot of getting out of their comfort zones led by & co-created with their methodology manager Abby Afriyie.
Documentary photos by Alexandra Arrhén & Nanaka Adachi from the exhibition
Yalla Rinkeby is a social enterprise that helps foreign-born women who are often far from the labour market integrate into society by providing work opportunities in their cafes (one of which is located in Rinkeby and other in Kulturhuset Vällingby) and catering business aided with language and other practical training. Most of them come from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq & Iran
It is based on Yalla model started in Malmö, a Swedish social enterprise framework designed to integrate foreign-born women far from the labor market through work-integrated cooperatives, practical learning ("learning by doing"), and tailored education.
Many of these women come from cultures and contexts where women's participation in the workforce is limited whether due to social expectations, family structures, or economic circumstances. When they arrive in Sweden, they can find themselves isolated within their own communities, speaking their mother tongue and focusing on family life, sometimes for years. Some find Yalla within months of arriving, others after a decade.
Recent voting stats with the insights from Prof. Karl-Oskar
Stats indicate a significant drop in votes in areas (Tensta, Rinkeby) that are high in foreign born immigrants.
When you walk into the exhibition, you're hit with striking data. In the Stockholm districts of Tensta and Rinkeby areas with high concentrations of foreign-born residents and close to where Yalla Rinkeby operates, voter turnout has fallen sharply. In the 2022 municipal election, turnout in Rinkeby dropped to just 49.3%, compared to 80.5% nationally. These voices are not just underrepresented they are increasingly absent from the democratic process.
This is not just a local issue. Professor Karl-Oskar Lindgren from the Department of Political Science puts it starkly:
"The greatest gap in political participation in today's Sweden is between those born domestically and those born abroad. In the 2018 election, voter turnout at municipal level was almost 30 percentage points higher among Swedish-born voters than among foreign-born voters."
Pictures taken from the private premiere of Mina Hjärtefrågor
Many shy away from exercising their vote due to lack of access to information, language barriers, or cultural assumptions about women's role in politics. Mina hjärtefrågor was born from the determination to address this head on through the women's own voices, in their own words.
It was in this context that I found myself documenting the two premiere events in May, working closely with Abby and the women of Yalla Rinkeby as their social media creator. What I witnessed over those two days, learning of their journey, what they had accomplished and seeing their reactions were nothing short of inspiring
“For the best future, we must ensure that everyone feels at home here and involved in society. And that’s why I think it is important that not just these women, but they inspire others who might not otherwise get this kind of education or offer to get involved in a political debate”
Panel discussion at the May 22nd premiere. From left: Project lead Abby Afriyie, Yalla Rinkeby Employee Fatma and Artistic Director of Kulturhuset Vällingby, Olof Hanson as the host.
In the seminar at the premiere, Abby explained how it started as an idea to give women a group therapy. Working closely with women she felt there were lots of emotions and questions that these women carried, living in the Swedish society as immigrants and as they go through the process of integration. She sensed something bubbling underneath.
Abby came up with this exhibition idea to create a space for creative forum for these women to be seen and express their opinions and ideas. With the backdrop of the election, they had to together decide on going on this journey of learning and discovery about Swedish politics/culture, themselves and muster the courage to express their views publicly. And document their journey with photographs, being interviewed by Abby which was recorded. The project was financed with grants from the City of Stockholm
The key collaborators for the exhibition, from top left to bottom right: Abby Afriyie/methodology manager, project lead, Fatma/employee & Ann-Kristin Söderblad/Operations Manager@Yalla Rinkeby, Olof Hanson/Artistic Director@ Kulturhuset Vällingby, Jenny Jonsson/Co-founder @Yalla Rinkeby, Alexandra Arrhén/Photographer, Faten /employee@Yalla Rinkeby, Nanaka Adachi/Photographer.
The journey of empowerment was based on trust and courage. It was also a reflection of Abby’s close relationship with the women. They were not sure what this journey is going to be like, but they trusted in Abby’s hand who carefully and creatively curated the journey, not knowing herself how this is going to turn out. I must say they came out triumphantly.
Exhibition consists of portraits of Yalla Rinkeby women taken by Nanaka Adachi as well as video recording of the interviews and the process, transcripts of the entire interviews as well as selected quotes, and documentary photos of their journey by Alexandra Arrhén.
One of the quotes displayed in the exhibition
“I started laughing again, felt strong again. That feeling of change I carry with me when I go to vote this autumn.”
This is a rare opportunity to hear voices and perspectives that are rarely part of the public conversation. The exhibition invites us to reflect on what it truly means to integrate foreign born citizens and what a more inclusive democracy could look like.
“I think this exhibition offers new perspectives, new ways of thinking about what democracy in this country actually is, and what it gives us.”
If you go to Kulturhuset Vällingby for the exhibition, drop in at Yalla Rinkeby in the building for a falafel and say hi to Yalla ladies. Their falafel is one of the kind, I’d say best in town however contentious but you got to try it yourself! If Fatima is working, have a coffee with her, guaranteed energy booster!
Follow @yallarinkeby on Instagram for updates on the exhibition and the special viewing on August 26th
The exhibition:
Open until late September 2026, at Vallingby Kulturhuset Stadsteatern.
Exhibition is in Swedish - a group tour can be arranged in Swedish/English.
To arrange a tour, contact Abby: abby@yallarinkeby.se
Mina Hjärtefrågor is a collaborative project by Yalla Rinkeby & Kulturhuset Vällingby, funded by the City of Stockholm (Stockholms stad).