Photo credit: Courtesy of the Somali Centre.
Students bridge cultural divide through volunteer efforts at Somali Centre
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Somali Centre. Since the opening of the university, members of the NYUAD community have taken various steps to bridge the ...
Mar 11, 2013
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Somali Centre.
Since the opening of the university, members of the NYUAD community have taken various steps to bridge the cultural divide between the institution's diverse student body and the broader Abu Dhabi community. Among them is the initiative with the UAE Somali Social and Cultural Centre, which started about a year ago.
The Somali Social and Culture Centre is a non-profit organization that is run with strong support from the Somali community of Abu Dhabi. The Centre was established in 1968 in response to a large influx of Somali newcomers into the UAE. Run entirely on a volunteer basis, the Center does not currently count on any external aid from the government or private donors.
It offers English and computer classes to students between ages 18 to 35 who are mainly from Somalia, in addition to organizing cultural activities and events to celebrate the Somali culture and traditions.
Through the Somali Centre, NYUAD undergraduates have been able to interact and collaborate with Abu Dhabi's heterogeneous community and with young Somalis in the UAE.
The brains behind the NYUAD initiative at the Centre are political science professor Rahma Abdulkadir and Carol Brandt, the Associate Vice Chancellor, Global Education and Outreach & Vice Provost. The pair has been essential in developing the university's relationship with the Centre.
Khadar Abdi, the Centre’s executive director, said their support has been wonderful in helping the organization achieve its goal of providing access to education to Somali young adults in Abu Dhabi.
“[We want] to ensure participation of the young adults in developing friendly teaching and learning materials and to facilitate the process of learning joyfully,” Abdi said.
Since the first volunteers arrived during Spring 2012, the Centre has had an increasing number of NYUAD volunteers every semester. Though their role mainly involves assisting teachers and teaching English and computer classes, some volunteers have also led one-on-one tutorials.
“Since NYUAD students do not speak Somali,” Abdi said. “It has been a great incentive for [Somali] students to speak in English in the classes. This has made a great difference.”
Junior Yannick Trapman-O'Brien, one of the first NYUAD volunteers at the Centre, remembered being excited upon hearing about the initiative from Brandt.
"The stakes were high, the need was great, and we definitely had something to offer,” Trapman-O'Brien said. “Here was a chance to really make a strong connection to a community right next door to us that was actively seeking collaboration."
The students who first collaborated with the Centre last spring were invited back to attend a graduation ceremony for the program. Trapman-O'Brien said he felt an even stronger desire to be involved after attending the ceremony.
“I felt my presence represented a contract, and the sense of gratitude and welcome it received was overwhelming," he added. "It has been so gratifying to hear that this contract has not been broken during my time abroad.”
Freshman Djordje Modrajovic, another volunteer, has been developing a curriculum to prepare advanced English students for the International English Language Testing System English Proficiency exam with the help of Brandt.
Though the development of the course is still in progress, Modrajovic said he is excited to help students who are eager to learn. Some of the Somali students make an extra effort to come to the Centre twice — once for their regular advanced English class and a second time for the specific IELTS preparation class.
Junior Sidak Yntiso also said he has been thrilled about volunteering since he first heard of the opportunity.
“Now that we have more of an idea of what we want and a plan [for] going ahead, I enjoy it even more,” Yntiso said. “I look forward to teaching my favorite class of boys and girls regularly.”
Irene Pañeda is a contributing writer. Email her at thegazelle.org@gmail.com.
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