Halo Ayub, a current business student at AUIS, is the founder of Hangaw Organization, based in Halabja. Hangaw focuses on teaching English and increasing speakers' confidence and passion for learning. We interviewed Halo about the importance of learning English, opportunities in Halabja, and the challenges and successes of Hangaw's first cohort this summer.
AEI: Could you briefly provide a description of Hangaw Organization and the reason behind starting it specifically in Halabja?
HA: Hangaw is a non-profit organization that aims to provide opportunities for English learners to improve and advance their English abilities. Hangaw offers English classes, seminars, and activities in English with a focus on job readiness. I chose Halabja as the location to start Hangaw to give residents a voice to advocate for their rights--a voice that has often been lost given the ongoing struggles people have faced since the chemical bombardment of the city in 1988.
Part of my dream is to provide better opportunities for my friends and the people of Halabja. Because I grew up in Halabja, I recognize the talent of young people in my city and want to help them develop their ideas and build a spirit of collaboration so they can achieve their dreams. I believe that nothing will stop us until we are satisfied with the work we have done.
AEI: How do you hope your organization will contribute to greater opportunities for people in Halabja, and what is the significance of English education in achieving Hangaw’s goals?
HA: I felt there was a need to address the gap in government services--particularly in the education sector--for residents of Halabja. The 1988 chemical attack on the city is still negatively affecting residents in the form of severe health problems and poor quality of life. This is further exacerbated by the government’s continued failure to provide quality healthcare, education, and services to Halabja. This gap left by the public sector inspired me to start Hangaw to give residents--and particularly youth--an opportunity to take charge of their futures. The ability to speak English allows Hangaw participants to gain independence, more powerfully explore opportunities to make meaningful change in their communities, and build civil society.
AEI: Can you tell us a bit about your first Hangaw cohort this summer? How did you develop the curriculum? What were some of the challenges and successes?
HA: This summer, Hangaw offered English courses for three levels: Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. The majority of students took the advanced-level course, which focused on conversational skills. The course was based partly on the AUIS Academic Preparatory Program (APP) curriculum, and involved guest talks from native speakers and English professors to promote idea exchanges and ways to overcome obstacles to learning English. The most challenging aspect of the program was getting students to adhere to the policy of no Arabic or Kurdish being spoken on the campus. Both students and staff were required to only speak English so that they would stay motivated to meet their English language goals.
As Hangaw expands, we are working to build a team of 40 volunteers to conduct monthly activities such as debates and seminars in Halabja city. Although Hangaw began without any financial support, we were successful in increasing students’ confidence levels. By the end of the summer, many of the students who had felt shy and insecure in their language abilities became more confident in speaking English, even with native speakers. One thing we especially focused on was motivation to promote a love of learning. On the first day of class, one of the students said, “I hate English, but I have to learn because of my job.” However, after weeks of activities designed to make learning more enjoyable, her mentality changed and her desire to learn English evolved from a necessity to something she enjoyed. This is just one example of how our staff succeeded in increasing students’ motivation to get them to love learning English.