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By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 11:56 a.m. EST, Dec 23, 2008
Eh Kaw Ser Way's native language is Karen.
It's the language he uses at home and the only language his parents know.
But the 10-year-old boy is determined to master his second language, English, because it is the official language of the country he calls home.
''I speak English at school. Sometimes it's not easy,'' Eh Kaw said. ''I need to practice to speak English better.''
Eh Kaw is among 50 Karen youths who began getting extra practice in speaking English this month at Urban Vision ministry, where a $2,000 grant from the Millennium Fund for Children has helped provide the Rosetta Stone Software for teaching English.
The English class is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the ministry's Set on Success (S.O.S.) after-school program.
''When the Karen children started coming through our doors here at Urban Vision, we knew we had to expand to include English classes specifically for them,'' said Rodney Matthews, president of Urban Vision. ''We want them to be able to speak English because we know the language barrier can keep them from being successful in school.''
The Karen people, an ethnic group native to southeastern Burma and western Thailand, started arriving in Akron during the late summer of 2006. They had been driven into refugee camps on the Thai border by political violence, instability and persecution by Burmese authorities.
Most of the children have only known life in a refugee camp because their families had been displaced there for 10 or more years. The local Karen community includes at least 571 refugees whom the International Institute helped to settle in Akron.
''The general rule when the Karen refugees come in is nobody speaks English. We use interpreters to help them find housing, health care, employment and educational opportunities,''' said Goran Debelnogich, director of resettlement at the International Institute of Akron. ''Children learn faster when it comes to a new language. They have ESL [English as a Second Language] classes in school. But the benefits of having other programs in the community to help is enormous.''
Eh Dah Doh, 11, agrees that the extra classes she is getting at Urban Vision are a big help.
''It's helping me speak English better. The computer tells you how to say a word and you repeat it. It gives you a green light if you get it right,'' Eh Dah said. ''I want to learn more so I can help my Mommy and Dad.''
Eh Dah and Eh Kaw are students at Findley Academy. They attend the after-school program at Urban Vision.
The ministry is housed in the ARC (About Reaching Community) building, located at 749 Blaine St. It works to help improve the lives of families living in the North Akron communities of Elizabeth Park and North Hill through Christian-based programs that address their needs. It was founded in 1992 and incorporated in 1993 by Matthews and his wife, Jodi.
In addition to the English classes, the ministry offers mentoring and tutoring; teen nights; homework assistance; parent meetings; Bible studies; a family night camp; a basketball program; a neighborhood garden program and a Christmas store. Volunteers, monetary contributions and other donations, including games, snacks and school supplies, always are needed.
Matthews said each seat for the Rosetta Stone English instruction costs $255. The goal is to have 10 students on the network at one time. The ministry currently has 50 Karen youths enrolled for the classes and 10 on a waiting list.
''We wish we could do more but we're doing what we can to meet the needs of the community, spiritually, physically and economically,'' Matthews said. ''And we're doing it based on God's principles.''
For more information, visit http://www.urbanvisionministry.org or call 330-762-1163.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Millennium Fund for Children
• A permanent endowment formed in 1999 as a partnership between the Akron Beacon Journal and Akron Community Foundation to provide grants of up to $2,000 each year to nonprofit organizations for programs that work to improve the lives of children.
• 219 grants, totaling $331,334, awarded since 1999. • $754,322 donated since 1999.
• What your donation will buy:
A $50 donation will help a refugee child learn English.
A $35 donation will buy a year's worth of milk for a needy child.
A $20 donation will fill a backpack with healthy food for a child to take home every weekend.
A $5 donation will provide a fun-filled day of music, food and games for a child who has witnessed or has been a victim of violence.
Source: Akron Community Foundation
Eh Kaw Ser Way's native language is Karen.
It's the language he uses at home and the only language his parents know.
But the 10-year-old boy is determined to master his second language, English, because it is the official language of the country he calls home.
''I speak English at school. Sometimes it's not easy,'' Eh Kaw said. ''I need to practice to speak English better.''
Eh Kaw is among 50 Karen youths who began getting extra practice in speaking English this month at Urban Vision ministry, where a $2,000 grant from the Millennium Fund for Children has helped provide the Rosetta Stone Software for teaching English.
The English class is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the ministry's Set on Success (S.O.S.) after-school program.
''When the Karen children started coming through our doors here at Urban Vision, we knew we had to expand to include English classes specifically for them,'' said Rodney Matthews, president of Urban Vision. ''We want them to be able to speak English because we know the language barrier can keep them from being successful in school.''
The Karen people, an ethnic group native to southeastern Burma and western Thailand, started arriving in Akron during the late summer of 2006. They had been driven into refugee camps on the Thai border by political violence, instability and persecution by Burmese authorities.
Most of the children have only known life in a refugee camp because their families had been displaced there for 10 or more years. The local Karen community includes at least 571 refugees whom the International Institute helped to settle in Akron.
''The general rule when the Karen refugees come in is nobody speaks English. We use interpreters to help them find housing, health care, employment and educational opportunities,''' said Goran Debelnogich, director of resettlement at the International Institute of Akron. ''Children learn faster when it comes to a new language. They have ESL [English as a Second Language] classes in school. But the benefits of having other programs in the community to help is enormous.''
Eh Dah Doh, 11, agrees that the extra classes she is getting at Urban Vision are a big help.
''It's helping me speak English better. The computer tells you how to say a word and you repeat it. It gives you a green light if you get it right,'' Eh Dah said. ''I want to learn more so I can help my Mommy and Dad.''
Eh Dah and Eh Kaw are students at Findley Academy. They attend the after-school program at Urban Vision.
The ministry is housed in the ARC (About Reaching Community) building, located at 749 Blaine St. It works to help improve the lives of families living in the North Akron communities of Elizabeth Park and North Hill through Christian-based programs that address their needs. It was founded in 1992 and incorporated in 1993 by Matthews and his wife, Jodi.
In addition to the English classes, the ministry offers mentoring and tutoring; teen nights; homework assistance; parent meetings; Bible studies; a family night camp; a basketball program; a neighborhood garden program and a Christmas store. Volunteers, monetary contributions and other donations, including games, snacks and school supplies, always are needed.
Matthews said each seat for the Rosetta Stone English instruction costs $255. The goal is to have 10 students on the network at one time. The ministry currently has 50 Karen youths enrolled for the classes and 10 on a waiting list.
''We wish we could do more but we're doing what we can to meet the needs of the community, spiritually, physically and economically,'' Matthews said. ''And we're doing it based on God's principles.''
For more information, visit http://www.urbanvisionministry.org or call 330-762-1163.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Millennium Fund for Children
• A permanent endowment formed in 1999 as a partnership between the Akron Beacon Journal and Akron Community Foundation to provide grants of up to $2,000 each year to nonprofit organizations for programs that work to improve the lives of children.
• 219 grants, totaling $331,334, awarded since 1999. • $754,322 donated since 1999.
• What your donation will buy:
A $50 donation will help a refugee child learn English.
A $35 donation will buy a year's worth of milk for a needy child.
A $20 donation will fill a backpack with healthy food for a child to take home every weekend.
A $5 donation will provide a fun-filled day of music, food and games for a child who has witnessed or has been a victim of violence.
Source: Akron Community Foundation
Comments
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akron, oh
Posted 04:16 PM, 12/23/2008
Amazing how motivated these kids are to learn and to better themselves.
Akron, Oh
Posted 06:16 AM, 12/24/2008
100% better than the ones that come here and only speak Spanish, with NO desire to learn English.
