How We Started Serving the Educational Needs of a Refugee Family
This is something that I never would have thought I would have the pleasure of saying: I am helping a Venezuelan refugee mom in Chicago who is trying to learn English on her own and provide an education for her two daughters. Granted, being a white guy throws a bunch of tough personal and work challenges into the mix. Least of all the available time that I can dedicate to serving their needs — which is decidedly tight and growing smaller every passing day — and it is also some of the most rewarding work I have done yet. These things really shape how the job is seen and what kind of impact it has. See, it’s a mix of dealing with her culture, language hurdles, being understanding, and helping her fit into a whole new world here in the city and helping her children adjust to school.
Understanding her cultural background is a pivotal part of this journey. It’s not just about saying, “Okay, she’s from Venezuela,” and moving on. It’s diving deep into her world — respecting the things that matter to her, like her traditions, values, and the way she sees things. It’s like putting on a different pair of glasses to see the world through her eyes. It’s about catching those subtle cues in how she talks, acts, or even her body language. Those little things, like the expressions she uses or the gestures she makes, they mean a lot.
