When Susanne started volunteering at CCI-LEX as a teacher, she used to tell her friends her classroom was the UN: a room full of people from different countries, cultures, and languages. At the time, she had been looking for a volunteer opportunity that could use her experience as a teacher and tutor; that is how she found CCI-LEX.
Now, there is something magical about our school, and that is that our volunteers can leave to do other things, like studying or caring for their families, but they often come back. That little magic trick made Susanne come after several years away for a different volunteer experience.
Susanne followed the news about Canada welcoming people from around the globe, and she thought about how hard it is to immerse yourself in a new country and a new community; something she knows as an immigrant herself. She thought especially about refugee claimants, those who might feel unheard or misunderstood, and might not have a safe space to talk.
But, moreover, Susanne thought about women who share the experience of being silenced by different circumstances. “Women understand women. Doesn’t matter where they come from”, that is why she reached out to CCI-LEX, a place she knew offered a safe space and support for immigrants, with a proposal of a Women’s Club.
Early this year, the Women’s Club opened its sessions every Friday: a space where our students can talk and share their experiences freely and learn about more than language skills. During these sessions, many participants have shared their cooking; they have laughed together and even cried while sharing their experiences; and there is Susanne, ready to listen to them: “It’s an honour for me to be with these ladies. It’s an honour for me that they share with me”.
Being part of this Club also means gaining more understanding of Canada, so they have met incredible indigenous women, Inuit and Anishinaabe, who shared their stories, experiences, and knowledge in special sessions. Imagine how amazing it is to learn about the north of Canada, about foraging, the different customs, but also the amazing similarities they all have, although they all come from different parts of the world!
As for what the future holds for the Women’s Club, Susanne says: “What I’d like to do is see the ladies connect with each other, and make friends with each other, and not necessarily through me”. She would like to see the number of participants grow to the point that each of the founder ladies can be facilitators too; by creating smaller groups, they all can lead to create new bonds between each other.
This is the power of volunteers, people who create a big impact by sharing with their communities, by getting to know more about the people that live in our cities, driven by curiosity like Susanne’s. “I think being a volunteer, not only are you giving of your time, but you are receiving so much back”.