Abu Dhabi New York University students teach Somalis English

Abu Dhabi New York University
students teach Somalis English

The swanky New York University campus is a great hangout for freshers like Juliana Bello and Djordje Modrakovic.

But tail them in the evenings and chances are you may end up in the most unlikely of places – like say the Somali Social and Culture Centre.

Bello, 18, from the US and Modrakovic, 19, from Bosnia are not your average brash young students. While many of their peers are out hitting the hotspots in town, these two devote their free time to teaching English to Somali expats.

Voyage of discovery

They say it is their way of discovering Abu Dhabi and giving back to a society that has accepted them with open arms. “It is not just that we are giving them something. In return we are getting a lot back.

“We are learning about a country and a community in many ways, thanks to this opportunity,” said Modrakovic, a first year student of political science and psycology.

He teaches advanced level English twice a week for those who wish to appear for IELTS (International English Language Testing system).

Bello, who studies computers, has a 20-strong intermediate student group that includes housewives and unskilled workers who want to improve their communication skills to land a better job or get a promotion. “I focus on basic English grammar and speaking skills.

They are an enthusiastic lot and show a lot of drive to learn,” said Bello. She said the voluntary work is an extension of her community work in the US where she taught sheltered children.

Their lessons do not stop with the twice-a-week classes at the centre.

Bello and and Modrakovic often take their group of students out for lunch and sometimes even bring them over to their campus.

“They get exposed to other students as well and it is an opportunity for them to communicate with students of different nationalities.

“They are more at ease when they talk to us outside the classroom,” said Modrakovic.

The Somali Social and Culture Centre has been conducting English and computer classes for community members since 2010 with the help of voluntary teachers such as Bello and Modrakovic.