By Adrianna Nehme, Communications Assistant
“Our students have suffered a [great deal] and it’s important to sympathize with them, understand their point of view, and establish mutual respect for one another in which you both are comfortable and trust each other. In order to complete these steps, the first and foremost step would be patience. Once you’ve mastered the art of patience, you’ve won half of the battle!” —Afrah
Volunteering is something that has always been a part of Afrah’s life, as she and her family have previously volunteered with refugees and at homeless shelters. Afrah first learned about FORA through a close friend of hers, and after further researching it, she realized that the values and help that FORA provides to refugee students was similar to her previous volunteer work. She took the opportunity to educate herself on the difficulties that refugees have faced, and use that knowledge to become a better support system for her students.
When coming to volunteer each day, she looks forward to hearing the questions her student asks. She finds it heartwarming to see a student with so much potential and who always wants to learn more about the world. She also loves hearing her student tell her stories, because that demonstrates trust and comfort in the tutor/student relationship.
So far, the highlight of Afrah's experience was when her student read an entire book without any mistakes, while also using the vocabulary she had previously taught her. She highlights that at the end of the session, her student wanted to stay longer and read more books.
In her free time, Afrah enjoys playing basketball, a sport she has been playing since she was six years old. For those who would like to become a volunteer or tutor in the future, Afrah emphasizes the importance of patience.
