De Regenboog Groep teaches language lessons behind the front door
Low literacy leads to isolation. But what if you cannot take language lessons because you cannot leave the house? A large group of foreign-language isolated women miss the boat. Volunteers from De Regenboog Groep call for language lessons at home. This is paying off.
"Finally I understand my child's homework, we hear back from the women we teach language lessons to. Or we hear that someone has taken the streetcar for the first time." Speaking is Sanne Berlemon, working as a regional coordinator at Amsterdams Buurvrouwen Contact. Together with colleague Summar Swidan, she matches volunteers with foreign-speaking women, who cannot take language lessons outside the door. The women do not speak Dutch, some are even illiterate. They are housebound because of small children, single or with a partner. The children do not yet attend pre-school and there is no money for childcare, for example. Amsterdams Buurvrouwen Contact, which recently became part of De Regenboog Groep, stands up for these women.
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Learning about the world
Sitting at home creates a spiral of problems: loneliness, dependency and all kinds of mental health issues. "We encounter it all," said Summar Swidan, internship supervisor at Amsterdams Buurvrouwen Contact. From her own experience, she knows how important it is to speak the language. Twenty-seven years ago, she came to the Netherlands from Egypt. To better support her school-aged children, she wanted to be the first to master the language.
Berlemon: "By learning the language, you get to know the world outside your own walls. Your self-confidence increases. You dare to go to the supermarket or the doctor on your own." Adding nuance: "It's not just our language class. Often there are multiple pathways that the women follow with us. Then everything comes together and you see enormous changes. Women dare to leave their homes, complete their integration, go to the community center and watch the Youth News with their children for the first time. I have also heard that one lady has become a stay-over mother at her children's school, even though her Dutch was not yet perfect. That is also the goal. The moment you enter society and make contacts, you are less dependent on your husband or your daughter who always has to interpret. You can discover your own talent. That talent is all being lost now, whereas: there is something in every person!"
Women for Women
Weekly, 125 volunteers go out for Amsterdams Buurvrouwen Contact: women only. That makes the project unique within De Regenboog Groep. "The husband sometimes wants their wife to have language lessons, but he doesn't want a strange man on the floor," explains Berlemon. "That has to do with culture and we respect that." The women report through the children's school or another agency already involved with the family. The need is great and that translates into waiting lists. Swidan: "There are many women in need. Especially in the North and New West districts, there are waiting lists."
"Over time, a friendship can develop just like that."
Connecting
Connecting is crucial. "Before you can teach language, it's important to connect with each other. That you don't come in with a bag full of books, like: here's the teacher. The key is to connect with the women. Searching. Get to know each other. Some bring family photos to introduce themselves. The other will play a game first."
"Over time, a friendship can develop just like that," laughs Swidan. Berlemon: "Although we do say: don't get too close to each other to avoid dependency. The goal is for the woman to become self-reliant. But we do indeed hear very nice stories. For example, volunteers who are invited to the sacrificial feast. Then we hear back that they really enjoy not only giving language lessons, but also learning from the other culture."
Also teach language?
Do you live in Amsterdam? There are women in your neighborhood who cannot leave the house because of a language barrier. Sign up as a volunteer and make a difference in the life of a neighbor. You do not have to be a Dutch teacher to apply. As long as you are open to other cultures and have a little patience. And of course you will receive basic training first.
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