By Adrianna Nehme, Communications Assistant
Iman is the Confidential Assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer for FORA. Previously she volunteered at a tutoring center with kids ages 4-12, and she learned about FORA through a website that advertises similar job opportunities. Iman was intrigued by the description that the website provided for FORA, and having heard stories of those who fell victim to the inequalities of the education system that is similar to the positions that many Rohingya refugees are in, she wanted to be a solution to the problem.
When coming to work each day, Iman enjoys listening to her student’s stories and seeing their progress in assignments. So far, the highlight of her experience has been when her student memorized and performed a poem about freedom at a Model UN debate camp.
She emphasizes that for anyone who wishes to become a volunteer in the future, it is important that they come in with empathy and patience. “It is important to remember that as a volunteer, you are being allowed into the homes of people who are rightfully weary and doubtful of good intentions, after being wronged by so many systems, and that the students are often affected by these wrongings and injustices on a personal level,” Iman said. “As a volunteer your first step to tutoring should be trust, because if your student trusts you, the learning will come naturally.”
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