Last week, my section began volunteering two nights a week teaching English to adult Sudanese refugees in Tel Aviv (at the same location as the gan that we had painted earlier). With close to a dozen of us each night, we were able to offer individual attention by breaking off into small groups of no more than four students and engaging them in conversation.
Our goal was a simple one: converse with them and make them feel comfortable speaking English. Without any instructions as to specific topics most conversations began simply with inquires into how their day was, where they live and work, etc. Skill levels varied from being able to understand me and string together full sentences to nodding along vigorously in feigned understanding and being unable to respond to my questions.
Their gratitude towards us was unending and sincere. Seeing how they improved even in the short time we were with them provided us with instant gratification in return. They were patient yet eager to improve, in good spirits despite their long days at work and full of a passion for learning that I have never seen in any of my own school years...ever.
However, the best part of the experience for us was when they would begin telling us about their lives back home in Sudan, their journeys to Israel and their hopes for the future. Whether it was telling me about how they owned camels and donkeys as means of transportation, or how they grew mangoes back in Sudan, or how each tribe has its own distinct language and how much they don't like Arabic, or how poorly they were treated back in Egypt or how they had to escape over the border into Israel but were caught or how they were in prison here for 6 months before being given a temporary visa, our discussion provided me with the opportunity to get a glimpse into the lives of these Sudanese refugees.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment