Hello. My name is Fery, and my husband’s name is Bahram. We have two children, a son named Borhan, and a daughter named Dorsa.
Before immigrating to Canada, we lived in Iran. Iran is an Islamic republic under a dictatorship that was prejudiced against non-Muslims. We believe in Bahai faith, so we did not have the freedom or rights of a citizen in Iran, despite our natural citizenship. The Iranian government persecuted Bahai’s, killing and arresting members for decades. I was not allowed to study at a university and my husband was fired from every job. With my husband having to travel to find a job and knowing that my children would have to face the same difficulties, we decided to flee the country. In the year 2000, we decided to try to move our family to Canada.
We stayed in Turkey for one year while waiting for a Canadian visa. I knew a bit English, but no one else in my family spoke any English. In the summer of 2002, we came to Kelowna. We felt hopeless faced with the difficulties of learning a new language. We were worried about finding a job with our poor English. I began taking classes at Okanagan College and my husband started being tutored at Project Literacy. Elaine was his tutor. We were very lucky to have her. She was an amazing teacher and helped Bahram learn English and supported him in getting his first job. She was even making phone calls for appointments we needed. Whenever we needed support, Project Literacy, and especially Elaine, was there for us.
With the help of Project Literacy, we were able to get jobs, a house, and our Canadian citizenship (Elaine even came to the ceremony!). Since then, my husband has opened his own business; a small barbershop downtown that he runs alongside our son. I have worked in the dietary department in a nursing home for years. Recently, I decided to become a health care worker. After 10 years, I again turned to Project Literacy for help. I needed help with improving my writing to get into the course, which I completed successfully. I love my job as a care aid. My daughter is now a young woman studying law at University of Victoria. We are very thankful to live in a society that is willing to help and support those who are not even citizens through community organizations such as Project Literacy.
