Pakistan

#WomenOfDundee: How coming to DIWC helped Javeria settle into life in Dundee

20 March 2017 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

Javeria moved to Dundee over 15 years ago and after a shaky first year she started coming to DIWC to attend classes. This helped her settle in Dundee and make a life for her and her family. Read her story here:

My Story

My name is Javeria and I am from Pakistan. I went to school there and studied in college for two years – all the usual subjects Maths, English, PE, Islamic Studies, Urdu. All my family still live in Pakistan, I have six brothers and sisters.

My husband is originally from Uganda, but he lived in the UK. I met him when he was visiting Pakistan and we got married quite quickly. 10 days after my wedding, I came here to Dundee.

Finding my way in a new city

I was very shy when I first got here! I stayed in the house for the first year as I was not confident enough to learn English or go out by myself. The first time I ever tried to go in town by myself I got lost in on the bus!

I had gotten on at the wrong stop and it was going the wrong way. I was so upset, I was crying on the bus and I didn’t have a phone or anything. I had been trying to get to town and I ended up at the back of Whitfield. Thankfully, the bus driver saw my crying and he helped me get back into town. After that, I was determined I was staying in for good.

How coming to DIWC helped me settle

I came to DIWC about 15 years ago as a learner. I went to classes and I started a childcare course. When the centre was looking for volunteers and staff I decided to volunteer myself and after two/three months I got a job.

I only visit Pakistan now every two to three years. I think if I had the choice to live in Dundee or Pakistan I would choose here.

I do miss Pakistan though because my family is over there, but I have adjusted and my own family is here. My kids are comfortable and confident here and they love our trips, but only for a holiday.

I do wonder if coming to Dundee now would be scarier than it was when I first came. I remember being scared that people would make fun of me then, but no one did – but now I feel, sometimes, people are staring at me, like an outsider. I worry the culture is changing for the worse.

DIWC is completely different though. I always have and always will feel totally at home here – it has changed my life. My experiences here made me confident to go out, speak, make friends. When people ask how I learned to speak English so well – I tell them about the centre!

I am looking forward to continuing to grow within DIWC and as part of the crèche.

Javeria #womenofdundee

#WomenOfDundee: DIWC helped build my confidence and gave me the opportunity to gain qualifications

1 November 2016 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

Munaza shares her story about when she moved to Dundee from Pakistan, the difficulties she faced and how joining the DIWC helped her improve her English which helped to build confidence and led her to learn new skills – leading to a position on the Board of Directors!

Having a good education

I came from Pakistan to England to study where I lived with my brother and sister in law for 1 and a half years. I got married and moved to Dundee in 2014. I decided to study in the UK because my brother already lived in England and so I thought it would be best to be with my family.

Before I came to England I didn’t really know exactly what to expect. I only really thought that in the UK there is freedom, independence, and gender equality. Through my time in England, I found that it is largely what I expected.

Difficulties faced and how I overcame them

The hardest thing I found in living in the UK is being far from my family. I was apprehensive how the teachers at University would be and what the people would be like. It was scary at the start but with time I got more confident. Initially, I was a little worried about how I would adjust to living with my in-laws but I found that everyone was very co-operative and friendly. They even gave me lots of opportunities to go out to places and meet people. They introduced me to DIWC.

My childhood in Pakistan was amazing! Sometimes I wish I could relive my childhood. I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters. I’m a middle child but out of the sisters, I’m the youngest.

Learning to speak English and gaining confidence

I initially started coming to DIWC in 2014 but I regularly started coming to classes in 2015. I feel that DIWC has helped to develop my personality, built my confidence and gives opportunities to gain qualifications. When I first started at DIWC I was scared to talk to anyone because English is not my first language. Before when people said to me just speak in English my first thought was that I just can’t. But coming to DIWC has given me the confidence to talk to other people in English. I have recently joined the board of directors of DIWC. This feels a little scary but exciting as well. It’s a new opportunity for me to learn different skills.

My daughter is the most exciting thing in my life right now. I’ve always liked kids but being a mum, words just can’t describe the feeling it’s totally different and beautiful.’

Munaza #womenofdundee

#WomenOfDundee: Flourish taught me valuable life-saving skills I was able to put into practice

1 November 2016 by diwc-admin 2 Comments

Sarish Rizwan has been attending the Flourish program on and off for the past two years, she is from Pakistan and has two sons. She has given permission to speak about her personal story that has helped her save two peoples life since doing the First Aid course, which was organised by staff in the DIWC Flourish group.

Learning valuable life-saving skills to put into practice

The first time was when Sarish had gone to Pakistan to visit family there was an incident where her uncle started to have chest pains and breathing difficulty. Sarish said she immediately remembered what she had learned and how to recognise if someone was having symptoms of a heart attack. She called for an ambulance and put him in the recovery position. As her uncle’s condition worsened, she was able to carry out CPR which was vital, until the paramedics came, after which they took over. Thanks to her quick thinking and remembering the training she had received, her uncle is alive and so grateful to Sarish.

Another time was when Sarish was feeding her baby he choked on a pea and was having difficulty breathing. She performed the Heimlich manoeuvre and CPR, which saved her baby’s life.

Sarish says: “I am so grateful to DIWC and Flourish for delivering the First Aid workshop, without it, the outcome might have been very devastating. I am now able to perform emergency first aid until help arrives if needed, which makes me feel, that I have learnt a very valuable skill which could save lives. Thank you Flourish”

To find out more about the Flourish classes, click here.