Today’s blog post is a guest post written by Brandon Ramsay about his experiences as a volunteer at CRP.
Last Thursday, May 3, 2017, was my last day as a volunteer at the Collateral Repair Project as an English teacher.
Ironically, the English language cannot sufficiently express the overwhelming emotions I feel when I reflect on my time spent teaching at CRP after eight months in Amman. Teaching Syrian and Iraqi refugees, my students, was a humbling and incredibly transformative experience. My students were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters, with beautiful ideas and dreams.
English classes were not just a time for language exchange but also for inspiration and most importantly an affirmation of hope. One of the first verbs I taught my students was “to hope” and one of the last adjectives I taught was to be “optimistic.”
English classes were not just a time for language exchange but also for inspiration and most importantly an affirmation of hope.
To quote one of my students who was from Damascus, Syria, “I hope for peace, and I am optimistic about the future.”
I consider the time I spent with my students to be a blessing. I am grateful that CRP organized English lessons for the urban refugee community. I am honored to have been a volunteer at such a wonderful program.
