KMEWO organised a Graduation Event for the Learning for Living Project on 10 June 2015. The aim of this event was to celebrate the learners’ success and to recognize their commitment to personal development in the Learning for Living project. On this day, the KMEWO staff shared their experiences of the Learning for Living Project and the progress made by the learners.
The event started with an introduction and welcoming by our Chair Janan Al-Jabri.
We were very pleased and honoured to have Jeremy Corbyn Islington MP present at our event. He talked about the vital importance of KMEWO’s work for women and the strong connections we hold with the community.
Micheline Safi Ngongo from Hillrise Ward Councillors, stressed the importance of learning English and praised KMEWO for our grassroots community work.
Sawsan Salim, director of KMEWO welcomed the guests and expressed her happiness about the large number of participants. Sawsan said she was “very pleased to see so many women came to celebrate their success with KMEWO and to receive their certificates. This shows you trust us and proud of your learning.” Furthermore, Sawsan acknowledged the support of the Big Lottery Fund, without whom we could not have been so successful. Finally, she thanked all he venues, supporter, volunteers and the staff team of LFL, our project manager Gona Saed, our development worker Zekiye Kartal and our administration worker Peshang Arkawazi.
Gona Saed, who managed the Learning for Living Project, we
lcomed the big group of learners and supporters of the courses. She highlighted the need for this project and the successes we achieved. She said that so many women have benefited from this project in many different ways: from improving their English language, getting prepared to find work to getting involved in volunteering. Gona also talked about the possible continuation of the Learning for Living Project, and introduced a range of new courses that might be offered. After the presentation, the learners got the opportunity to give feedback and express their interest in one or more of the new courses KMEWO might offer in the future.
After the presentations by our speakers, it was time for the graduation ceremony. All learners received one or more certificates of the courses they completed, ranging from literacy, different levels of English, employability and confidence building and IT. KMEWO also handed out special recognition certificates for learners who have demonstrated a very good attendance or assisted or volunteered with KMEWO. We also celebrated the achievements of some of our teachers and volunteers. After the graduation ceremony, we provided lunch and refreshments for all learners, and learners stayed for another hour to socialize and share their experiences.
During the event, a slideshow with photos of the courses and activities organized within the Learning for Living Project during the last 2.5 years was shown.
Overall, the feedback from the learners was great; KMEWO feels there is a strong need to continue with similar projects. From the feedback forms that were filled in by the women present at the event, we learned that all women felt the courses were very helpful, that their skills and confidence has increased, and that they look forward to continuing with the courses. Most women were also very satisfied with KMEWO’s organisation and additional services we offer.
Written by KMEWO volunteer Siel Devos
