Community Sponsorship Update
Monther, Rahaf, Aseel, Mohammad and baby Yousef are all doing well.
The Covid pandemic brought particular challenges for them. With limited language skills they have had to learn to send and receive emails and use zoom – but now they can!
We had hoped Monther would start a painting and decorating apprenticeship with a charity attached to Caritas, the Roman Catholic relief and development organisation. However the loss of income felt by churches, as a result of being shut, has meant that this apprenticeship is currently on hold until the company has sufficient work and we don’t know when that will be. He is continuing to do 2 hours a week at the church keeping the graveyards tidy, but he needs to widen his work experience and develop other skills. If anyone has suggestions please contact me or Lucy Dennett through the Parish Office.
While we are encouraging the family to be independent as far as possible and to use their own resources to solve problems we are continuing to encourage them as much as we can to improve their English. They have a super team of volunteer teachers helping them – John Barker, Adriana Rouanet Bassi, John Trimbos and Hilary Oulton (from St Mary’s RC Church). The photo you see of Monther was taken during an English lesson on WhatsApp video. He wanted John Barker to see him in traditional Syrian costume.