In Toledo, women are learning English skills to establish their lives in the U.S. at the American School for Women (ASW), operated out of the nonprofit Water for Ishmael.
The program provides refugee and immigrant women with job-specific English language skills, led by a women-only teaching team.
Rasha Omar, two-year ASW student, moved to Toledo from Sudan three years ago.
“This is a big challenge for everybody who came to another country and the language is not their first language. It’s a challenge,” Omar said. “(ASW) helps you to speak with doctors, with your school, live your life and (get) a job.”
Omar said the classes, which trained her in office specialist skills, opened up job opportunities and changed her life.
“I studied the Office Specialist class… how to use the Microsoft Office Suite. This program, we have learned it, so that helped a lot,” Omar said. “Now, in our life, we need to know how to make a Zoom call, send a professional email, make a resume.”
If office life isn’t the right path, the program offers other choices, Omar said.
“Whatever you feel like you want to do, they give you some tests,” She said. “If you love children, take this course. If you like the internet, take this course… You can take the course that suits with you.”
The school also helps mothers by providing childcare while they study, Omar said.
“When I go to learn English, if I want to work, where would I put my children? That’s a big challenge,” Omar said. “They have childcare here while you are studying. That’s huge.”
At the school, Omar serves as a needed translator for immigrants from her home country of Sudan, she says.
“After I finished the course, I started volunteering with them, now, helping whenever they need me,” she said. “Sometimes they do gathering here. Sometimes need some translation. For people from my own language, country… I help them with that. Because I felt (ASW) are helping. So I need to do some of the things that they share.”
ASW offers English classes to those just beginning, along with 12 electives, including the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam.
Hannah Buehler, director at ASW, says Water for Ishmael’s promise to their students is to “equip them with skills to be successful.”
Early on, program leaders realized the need for a women’s-only school, and ASW was born. Over the years, Buehler has built friendships with her students and learned life lessons from them, she said.
Those interested in getting involved can learn more at waterforishmael.org.
