$100,000 for English lessons
A group of Christchurch terror attack victims and family members need help learning enough English to work and integrate into Kiwi life.
Many family members dropped everything in their home countries to support their loved ones who were injured in the March 15 mosque attacks, while several widows have been left without the English-speaking husbands they previously relied on.
A social worker says the group needs to undertake formal study so they can gain their independence. Of the 29 people on Maha Galal’s list of people needing English lessons, 25 – including eight widows – passed a basic English test needed to do further study at Ara Institute.
But it will cost about $105,950 for one semester of course fees between them all, as 10 are still deemed to be international students.
It’s money they cannot afford. Ara Institute is looking into options, but its scholarships for 2020 have already been assigned.
Mosque widow Manal Dokhan relied on her refugee husband Mohsin Al-Harbi, 63, ‘‘for everything’’ before he was killed.
Limited English made it hard to navigate tasks like paying bills, talking with government departments and her doctor, and completing a PhD at Canterbury University or upskilling to teach in schools.
Despite studying lower level English at Ara before the terror attack, she still often needed Google Translate.
Dokhan was highly educated in Jordan and had a masters degree in education technology.
Her brother Saqr, 44 – whose English had improved enough to hold basic conversations since The Press last visited the family two months ago – is on a working visa, but cannot work without better English.
He lost his job in Jordan after rushing to support his sister following the attacks and for being away too long.
With qualifications as a barber and in home maintenance, he needs to work here to support his wife and two young daughters back home, while also supporting his sister in Christchurch.
Saqr said he wanted to have more meaningful conversations with his English-speaking friends.
The pair recently gained driver licences, which was ‘‘the first step’’ to independence..