From: Eri News (er_news@dehai.org)
Date: Thu Jul 08 2010 - 11:37:09 EDT
Small tutoring program yielding big results
After-school program helping Eritrean youth
By: Rob Brown
(Left to right) Student Lydia Ghebremicael, tutor Tesfalem
Ghebretnsea, student Henok Gidey, and tutor Bethlehem Ghebretnsea sit
with Eritrean Community in Winnipeg Inc. president Lambros Kyriakakos
(middle). The organization has found success with their after school
tutor program.
ROB BROWN Enlarge Image
(Left to right) Student Lydia Ghebremicael, tutor Tesfalem
Ghebretnsea, student Henok Gidey, and tutor Bethlehem Ghebretnsea sit
with Eritrean Community in Winnipeg Inc. president Lambros Kyriakakos
(middle). The organization has found success with their after school
tutor program.
An after-school tutoring program that assists Eritrean newcomers
recently celebrated the completion of its first year of academic
success.
The Eritrean After-School Program hosted more than 40 students from
the city’s Eritrean community this past school year. The program,
which wrapped up its inaugural session last month, is based out of
the Eritrean Community Centre at 348 Hargrave St.
Winnipeg is home to approximately 1,300 Eritrean expatriates. Eritrea
is located in east Africa near the Red Sea and neighbours Sudan and
Ethiopia.
Lambros Kyriakakos, president of the Eritrean Community in Winnipeg
Inc., said the program was created in response to a high dropout
rate among Eritreans attending Winnipeg junior high and high schools.
Participants attend weekly sessions at the centre where they receive
help in their studies from tutors.Tutors donate their time for every
third session they are involved in tutoring.
"We help them with homework and their language barriers, we help them
understand the assignments and concepts," said tutor Tesfalem
Ghebretnsea, a second-year biochemistry student at the University of
Manitoba.
In addition to helping students with assignments, the program also
focuses on English comprehension.
"Some of our students are in ESL. We don’t want them in ESL. Our goal
is to fully integrate our students with Winnipeg’s general student
population," Ghebretnsea said.
Henok Gidey, 16, came to Canada three years ago. A Grade 11 student
at Dakota Collegiate, he is considering a future in micro-computers
and diagnostics.
"Three years ago when I first arrived I didn’t know anything about
computers. However as time went by I gained more interest and
knowledge in them," he said.
Gidey said one of the most rewarding aspects of the program is the
increased sense of confidence it provides students.
"Students are not afraid to ask questions and speak up in class," he
said.
Kyriakakos said one of the reasons the program has been successful is
that it helps students to overcome common obstacles.
"Sometimes students are attempting to comprehend years of missed
learning in one school year," he said.
"The other thing is that if youth are coming from refugee camps or
non-school lives, they will have lost much of their organizational
skills. That needs an intimate environment to be taught in."
Preparations are already underway for the program’s second session in
the fall.
The program recently received $20,000 in funding from the Winnipeg
Founda tion. It also receives ongoing support from the North End-
based Mount Carmel Clinic.
Craig Ross, director of community services at Mount Carmel, said he
is looking forward to helping even more people during the program’s
second year.
"It is a good opportunity for us to build real relationships with
community groups in the city," he said. "It is a great example of
what can be done at the grassroots level with collaboration."
Kyriakakos said the program is helping build a stronger Eritrean
community.
"We can’t strengthen families without support. We can’t support
without providing something that the community did not have," he
said. "We’re filling the gaps of knowledge while learning the English
language at the same time."
Tesfalem said the program yielded some outstanding results in its
first year.
"We see them for ourselves in student’s improved report cards, grades
and marks. That is the real delight," he said.
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