This thesis studies everyday life as experienced by young asylum seeker who has entered Finland without legal guardian and has lived in a group home called Hämeenkyrön hybridiyksikkö. Hybridiyksikkö is designed for minor asylum seekers and for those who have obtained residence permits. The study was conducted in co-operation with the Finnish Red Cross Hämeenkyrön hybridiyksikkö. The research questions were following: What kinds of experiences does the individual have of his/her daily life in different sectors of life in that situation where he/she has been while living in the Hämeenkyrön hybridiyksikkö? Which of these experiences are meaningful for the individual him-/herself? What are the supporting factors of young individual’s social inclusion and well-being? The goal of this thesis was to emphasize the importance of young individual’s opinions and one’s own voice and the value of those in design, implementation and development of social services. The goal was also to highlight the meaning of knowledge gained from experiences and that exploring the experiences of just one individual can lead us to achieve valuable information.

The research material was acquired from one interviewee. Interviews were open interviews. Inclusion of children and young people, experiential knowledge and child-oriented way of approach were emphasized in this study. The research method was qualitative with phenomenological-hermeneutic way of approach. As a result, new information of an individual’s experiences was gained, and the information was analyzed based on theoretical background. The interviewee’s narrative was presented as a result of this study. The narrative was divided into four parts which were group home, school, friends and counselors and hobbies and leisure. The interviewee had several experiences of discrimination, racism and bullying but he also felt that he had been seen, heard and accepted. Based on this study, people, communities, meaningful activities, possibility to affect matters concerning oneself and experience of being treated as equal support the inclusion and well-being of young individual.