Stories of Change
Stories of Change
Andreia is from Brazil. She moved to Ireland with her husband a year and a half ago and has a two year old son. She lives in a town outside of Dublin city but travels in on a Saturday to attend English language classes offered through the WEMIN project. As she is at home all day caring for her son, she does not have many opportunities to meet other people so enjoys going to the classes for this purpose as well. As she says “About the English class on Saturdays, it's not just about learning English, but meeting and talking with other women who inspire me with stories about their lives and their good experiences and bad experiences in Ireland. How they cope with everything, helps us find the courage to keep trying to be better here, in this new place that we choose to call home, and during those happy moments, we improve our English.”
Katiane is from Brazil. She has lived in Ireland for three years. She works full time but would like to find a job in her field. When asked about her experience attending the English classes provided through WEMIN she said “I meet amazing migrant women, from different countries and other cultures but with the same feelings and issues. All of us are trying to live our lives here after years in our own countries. Everybody has experienced going through similar situations and difficulties to be here. It’s a relief to be part of this.
My name is Amany Aly, from Egypt. I have been in Ireland since January 2018. I came here to study and to work. I am looking to gain new experiences and for a better life. Now I am finishing my master’s degree in food safety management at TU Dublin. I have participated in the English class since Sep.2018. My main reason for attending was to improve my conversation skills and speak more naturally. After a while, I realized that not only my speaking skills had improved but also the ability to communicate and share my thoughts with the others spontaneously. Moreover, I feel I have more confidence and an increase in my self-esteem as well. Also, the subjects and lessons and topics helped me to learn about the Irish culture and customs. For instance, the National Museum visit was very useful for me as it helped me to understand how much the Irish citizens struggled for freedom. Also the programme assisted me to establish new communication networks and make friends that helped me a lot to expand my social network .
