Dohmey and her son are from Sudan, a country in North Africa. Until arriving in Canada a few years ago, Domhey had never attended school and was unable to read or write in English. Communicating with and understanding others was difficult.
Domhey began her journey of learning English at the LINC program put on by the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society. When the LINC program closed for the summer, she came to Project Literacy. At Project Literacy, Domhey met with Elaine, one of our Education Coordinators to be assessed for the One-to-one Adult tutoring program. Elaine works closely with the tutors and learners to determine the best fit to make sure the tutor can help the learner reach their goals. Domhey is determined to learn English to become more confident in everyday life here in Canada. “It is important to me to be able to communicate when buying my groceries or going to the doctor.” Domhey wants to understand when people are speaking to her.
When Domhey comes to Project Literacy she is greeted by the friendly staff who take the time to talk with her. Working with her tutor, Sana, she feels more confident.
When Domhey first started, she would answer in single words. She is now trying to form sentences. Domhey and Sana can communicate in Arabic when necessary helping to strengthen their tutor/learner relationship. The common language has given Domhey the comfort of knowing she can make mistakes and not get laughed at or judged. Domhey knows she can ask Sana about anything and that Sana will take as much time as necessary to make sure she understands.
Domhey’s hard work has given her the literacy skills to be able to understand and communicate with others in the community. Sana says “It is amazing how far Domhey has come in the few short months we have been working together. The more time I spend with her the more she continues to inspire me.”