My Monday and Wednesday classes I teach through STAR at the AUC campus has slowly been progressing. Though the large number of students who return each week (about 35) makes it difficult to give any of the students as much individual attention as they probably need, the classroom setting is still relaxed and very positive. After assigning a few papers where I (and my colleague teacher Khalil) asked the students to write brief histories about themselves, stories about their childhood, and their plans for the future, we were able to make brief assessments about most of their levels. We decided that it would be best to split the class up into two sections: grammar with writing and conversation. Because I have never been trained to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL), and I have very few teaching materials, I have just been relying on my own memory and knowledge of learning English grammar (and I NEVER imagined that some day I'd again use that stupid "helping verb" poem that my 6th grade English teacher, Mrs. Karnes, forced us to memorize...). Also, the internet has come in handy on occassion. But the complications of explaining grammar aside, I think the lessons have come across decently. I find my students begging for homework assignments, asking if they can attend more classes, and lingering around after class for extra help on other English "aspects" or "projects" they have been working on as well. Or simply, to talk.
After class a few weeks ago, one of my students, Abdullah, who is from Darfur, invited me to come to his other English class group. Joining this group has become one of my favorite ways to spend my evenings. Abdullah introduced me to Adam, the teacher of this group, when I came the first night. Adam, also a refugee from Darfur, organizes and teaches English to about 70 other refugees from Sudan on a regular basis--all day long, everyday. Before he came to Cairo, about a year and a half ago, Adam was an English teacher in a high school. However, after instability hit Darfur, and the violent Arab militias began terrorizing the black Africans in the region, he found himself neck deep in trouble: he lost his job, then ended up spending about two months in jail. Upon his release from prison, he immediately fled the country and became a refugee.
Life is extremely difficult for refugees in Cairo. Unemployment is already very high (unofficially about 20%-25%), the UNHCR only provides them limited resources, and then often meet racism and hardship on the streets. Like most of the other Sudanese refugees whom I have met, Adam was unable to obtain a professional job like he was used to back home. In fact most of my students held distinguished positions in Sudan, and are very well educated: teachers, engineers, businessmen, and university graduates for the most part. But Adam decided that he couldn't surive on a hard labor job, and wanted more for himself while he was here, and more for the people around him. So he saved a little money when he could, and then obtained a flat that had room for a few small, meager classrooms. Though his project took off slowly, he now has about 70 students who each contribute only a small sum of money for classroom materials and to help pay the rent for the classrooms. Sudanese students flow in and out of the flat from about 9am until 1am. They come together often to eat, study together, take their classes, and partake in conversation with any English speakers who can come.
Usually when I come about 15 of us gather together to discuss a certain topic. Though the topics vary from politics, to family issues, to weather, to anything else, the subject of conversation usually wanders to culture, religion, their curiosities about me, about Americans, and my own about Sudan and Sudanese culture, people, and traditions. They inevitably serve me plate upon plate of delicious home cooked Sudanese food and drink, we often listen to Sudanese "pop" music between conversations, and jokes are passed around the room. That's one thing that is always present--smiles and laughter. Especially when they try to teach me Arabic.
Sudanese people have a great sense of pride for their country and people. They are saddened and outraged by what has become of their homeland; they simply want to enjoy peaceful and productive lives. Their lives are now full of hardships, but they are anything but bitter. I have never met a people so warm, welcoming, and thankful for my time. Perhaps what they don't realize is how thankful I am of theirs.
posted by Katie Warren @ 3:28 AM
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