Raeda was born in Damascus, Syria, in 1973. She has fond memories of her childhood.
“In Syria we have gardens. All time when I wake up, I listen to small birds coming to my window. In the morning, at 6am, I listen and it is quiet. I listen to children when they go to school. Their mother: please don’t quickly, please be careful. I remember my mother, my grandma, my noisy house. What would you like for cooking today?”
Raeda was educated in Syria until she was 18. After leaving school, she became a carer for her mother and worked as a cleaner. She had three children. When she was in her early 30s, she developed an illness that left her partially sighted.
“In the past I could see good from now, from when I am 30, it is a problem with my eyes. Sometimes I cannot see anything. All things dark. When it is sunny, I can see dark. When the sun go, I see everything white. I am a blind woman.”
When war broke out in Syria, it became increasingly difficult for Raeda and her family to remain there. Her husband passed away. Her children moved to Qatar, Jordan and Germany, and Raeda eventually made the journey to the UK.
Move to the UK
Raeda came to the UK in December 2023. When we first met Raeda, she was living in a bridging hotel in Hounslow.
“In London, it’s a big capital and a big ways inside. When I live here, it is very big in here. It’s very new. The bus, the train, the traffic, the people, everything in a second. It’s busy. When I’m coming, I’m happy because it is new place, the first time, I think what can I do, all the people speak English, all the people, go to work. I can’t do anything. I can’t see, I can’t speak. What can I do? I not feel good because everything is new and difficult.”
Referral to LEAH
Raeda is friendly and always has time for others. She made some good friends in her hotel. She is also incredibly proactive and keen to learn. It was difficult for her to see her friends start college courses without her, as she had very little self-belief in her own ability to learn.
“All my friends go to college from two year from now. I speak to myself: I can’t go, I can’t do anything.”
Raeda’s Refugee and Asylum Seeker Liaison Officer had heard about our English courses and encouraged Raeda to believe in herself.
“There is something surprise for me when I am in my hotel, the manager tell me you can learn. I do not understand him but he tell me I can do something. He telephoned someone from school named LEAH can help. I said I can’t speak. I can’t do but I will try. Then two women from LEAH coming we can help you. They give me about dream to me. You can speak. You can help, remember some words, you can try to speak with us. We understand you. We can help you.”
What did Raeda like about her English classes with Mary from LEAH?
Our volunteer tutor, Mary, helped Raeda increase her vocabulary and form sentences in English. She adapted her classes so that Raeda was able to learn through speaking and listening. She was very patient and supportive of Raeda.
“If I had a mistake, she always take my mistake don’t worry you can do it, say again please, you can repeat when you are in your room, you can speak more and more, take it and use it your life. My teacher take us to learn more and more and she always repeat and make it simple. Said don’t worry. Everyone has mistake. You can do it. The next week we can remember everything.”
What was Raeda like as a student?
Raeda’s teacher, Mary, shared:
“Raeda was very enthusiastic, very open, she absorbed things like a sponge, amazingly she could remember words and we just did a few words every week and she remembered them, she played them back in her mind and remembered them.”
What did Raeda gain from her year of LEAH support?
Raeda experienced various changes during her year with Mary, including receiving a positive decision from the Home Office and moving accommodation twice. Mary became a good friend and a listening ear.
LEAH also helped to signpost Raeda to the charity RNIB. RNIB provided Raeda with a practitioner to help her navigate her local area as a blind woman. The practitioner supports Raeda through conversations in English and without the support of an interpreter.
When we first assessed Raeda, her English was limited. Now, she is able to have weekly conversations with her RNIB practitioner, and this support has been invaluable.
“In the past, I’m not strong. With Mary, I learning to be alone and a strong woman. I am born today. I am a new woman. I learn to help myself. In Syria, I ring a neighbour. Can you help me to buy some bread. In my country they help me but I can’t help myself. Here I can go and buy my bread. I ask someone where can I the find egg in Asda or Morrison. Where they put the coffee or the tea. Before two year, I can’t ask anybody. I think what do I do, I can’t see and I can’t walk alone. I want to learn English to help myself go to bus, go to shopping, buy some fruit, buy some vegetables. If you can’t talk and you can’t see what can you do. My teacher helped me everything I want. She told me if you can’t see you can ask: What is the name of this place. Without language we can’t do anything.”
Progression to further education
With Mary’s support, Raeda feels that she is now in a position to do something that she did not believe was possible when we first met her: enrol in a local college class.
Mary supported Raeda by helping her with the enrolment form, visiting the college with her to speak to the registration team, and completing the journey from Raeda’s accommodation to the college with her.
Raeda is very excited to join her ESOL course in September.
“I want to learn more English. I want to maybe to learn about medicine. Because I want to know more information about the body. I thanks for you to help me. Because it is my dream to learn more now and maybe I can do something for myself and others”
We asked Raeda what she would like to say to a student who wanted to learn but faced barriers to learning.
“Everyone of us, think about dream, think about something we want to do. Disabled people all the time we think we cannot do anything. We are blind people. We cannot see the teacher. It is wrong. You must help yourself. You must learn. You must do something. Your dream is big, but you can do anything. All disabled you can do something. You can try. If you do not. It is depression. Everything will begin again. Everybody has mistakes. Everybody not disabled has a mistake. Disabled is not the end of your life. Maybe today I can help you but tomorrow you can help me.”
And what would you like to say to your teacher Mary as your lessons with her come to an end?
“My teacher. I want to speak to her. I can’t. I want to thank you but thank you is a small word. You smile all the time with me. You make me want to learn. Thank you all the time to help me.”
