Mohammad is from Yemen. He has his PhD in Electrical Engineering. Mohammad came to Kelowna, in 2017, to work on his PhD at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO). He initially arrived by himself, leaving his wife, Fatima, and their two children behind. Fatima and the children were reunited with Mohammad in 2018.
Mohammed wanted to improve his accent and to learn Canadian customs. He was referred to Project Literacy by fellow students at the university. At Project Literacy, Mohammed met with Elaine, one of our Education Coordinators. Elaine works closely with the tutors and learners to determine the best fit, and to make sure the tutor can help the learner reach their literacy goals. Elaine paired Mohammed with Dennis and they have been working together since April 2019.
Mohammed says, “working with Dennis has helped my verbal communication when lecturing at UBCO.” His success in the One-to-One Adult tutoring program inspired his wife, Fatima, to learn English. Learning English has helped Fatima to connect to community and enjoy her time in Canada. She is also working with a tutor through the One-to-One Adult tutoring program.
Dennis believes “the trust factor has helped Mohammed discuss more personal details and given him a better understanding of Canadian life and how to pursue his goals in that context.” For example, Mohammed did not know about taxes. He has a goal to purchase a house but was unaware that owning a house incurs extra taxes. He had to learn that the more income a person earns the more tax the person pays. Additionally, in the 18 months of working together there has been a significant change in Mohammed’s accent. Mohammed has worked hard to improve his accent and to learn Canadian customs. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and isolating Mohammed has had fewer chances to practice English. He is thankful for the opportunity to continue meeting with Dennis at Project Literacy’s Learning Centre. With so many places closed or providing limited seating, the Learning Centre is one of the few places they can meet during COVID-19.