Entsar moved to London five years ago from Kuwait.  Bringing up her children in a strange country left her feeling lonely and isolated.  Although she had learnt some English in Kuwait, she found the accents of Londoners hard to understand.  Entsar lacked the confidence to talk to native English speakers, afraid that she would make a fool of herself.  She tended to stay at home, leaving the house mainly to take her older children to school, and consequently made few friends.  Depression and the need to seek medical help followed.

Fortunately one of Entsar’s neighbours had been coming to the Centre’s family services and recommended them to her.  One of the first things Entsar did when she came to Centre was to enrol in the English classes.  The volunteer team of English teachers helped her with her spoken English, while other staff and clients encouraged her to speak more, and to believe in herself.

“They encouraged me to talk - that made me brave.”

While Entsar was attending the English classes her children were looked after by the Centre’s family services.  The children always look forward to attending the Centre, and Entsar has noticed that her daughter has grown in confidence and is finding it much easier to make friends.  Staff also helped Entsar with completing forms and paperwork, particularly concerning her housing and her children’s schooling, which she was finding impossible to do on her own.

Entsar successfully took her Level 1 English exam this year, which included a presentation in front of a group of people.  That Entsar was able to do this comfortably is a measure of how much she has achieved, and how far she has come.

“The Centre is like a family to me.”

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