dundee – Page 2

#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: Coming to the Bazorg group gives me a sense of purpose

17 October 2016 by diwc-admin 2 Comments

Aunty Krishna has been coming to the DIWC for a couple of years and the Bazorg group gives her a sense of purpose now that she has more time on her hands. Here she shares her story about how she came to live in Dundee and why she joined the group.

My husband and I moved around a lot before settling in Dundee

“I moved to Dundee around 50 years ago. I did not know how to speak English when I first came here. I only understood little bits here and there but not enough to understand a whole sentence. Now, although I can’t speak a lot of English I can understand and get by a lot more easily.

I married my husband when I was 25. When we were in India he worked on the railways. This often involved him moving to different stations wherever the work was and I moved with him. We lived in many different places. I remember even staying in the jungle for a while and taking my bedspread and sleeping by the railways whenever he had night duty. The conditions were not the best sometimes but that was our life back then.

I’ve seen dramatic changes in Dundee over the years

In my time in Dundee I have seen it change dramatically. It’s amazing to see the transformation of the city. In 1966 I remember the Queen Mother visited Dundee to open the new Road Bridge. Also, at that time Ninewells hospital was just being built and now the hospital looks very modern and different.

There was a time where shillings were used instead of the pounds and pence’s we have today. I remember when I migrated there was a corner shop near our house. My husband had told them that I did not understand how the British currency works and so I just handed the shopkeeper the money and he would give me the change.

I find I have more time now my husband passed away and my children have all grown up

My husband passed away 25 years ago. He was still quite young. He was a very kind and handsome man. Since he was the same height as me I remember him saying: “If you wear heels, you’ll be taller than me!” My children were still studying at that time and my eldest was a year away from graduating from his degree in medicine. My daughter had started working so she helped support the family.

My children have their lives here, we are well settled. I have 3 kids; 2 boys and a girl. My eldest son is a GP in Birmingham and has two daughters. My youngest son has a boy and a girl and I love them very much too. My husband did not have any siblings so we spent most of our time in India living by ourselves. Though I still go every year to visit my own brothers and sisters, my heart is here with my children.

I have been coming to the Bazorg class at DIWC for a couple of years. When I first started I didn’t know any of the ladies here but now they are my friends. The Bazorg group gives me the opportunity to socialise and gives a little change to my week. I enjoy chatting with the ladies and doing the different activities they have here. Coming here makes me feel good.”

Aunty Krishna Bazorg Group member. Translated from Punjabi.#WomenOfDundee

#WomenOfDundee: How Mariam found a city that enabled her to achieve her dreams

26 September 2016 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

Mariam share’s her inspiring story, how she was able to achieve her dreams by taking English classes at DIWC, which then led to her enrolling at Dundee College and to take on a Receptionist role at the Centre. Which just goes to show that no matter what, you should always try to push yourself and make the most out of the opportunities in front of you – and she did just that!

I married young and settled in Dundee after a time

I was born and brought up in Mali. My whole family is still living there. Back in 2006 at the age of 18, I married a young man, Mahamadou who is now my husband. We moved to Paris after our marriage. I spent 2 months in Paris before moving to Dundee.

Feeling isolated due to the language barrier led me to DIWC

At first, Dundee felt very foreign to me. I felt lonely and isolated when I first arrived with no one to talk to and nowhere to go. Going from living with all my family members to arriving at a city I had never even heard of was a very strange feeling. Watching the TV does not help as all the channels are in English and I did not understand the language at that time.

My husband’s friend informed us about Dundee International Women’s Centre. From there I started the beginner’s English class. I was not going to let my language barrier stop me from living a good life. I decided that I needed to go out of the house and do something for myself. Once I gained my self-confidence and my English began to improve I attended other classes and events in the centre. I then gathered the courage to take my English skills to the next level by attending Dundee College.

Living in this city enabled me to achieve my dreams in a way I never thought possible

I never expected that Dundee would be the city that enabled me to achieve my dreams. I pushed myself harder and enrolled in a computing class which taught me admin and customer service skills. I got the opportunity to apply these skills in a real-life working environment. I did my placement as a receptionist at DIWC. While doing all this I was pregnant with my third child. It was a hard journey to take care of 2 toddlers, being pregnant and also trying to go after my ambitions. Sometimes I feel like I am trying to do too much at one time. But I felt so empowered to not give up. After I completed my placement I continued to volunteer for 3 months at DIWC until I applied for the receptionist post in 2016.

I have achieved so much already, but want to do more

I never dreamt in my life that I will be able to not only speak English fluently but to be able to secure a job. My biggest achievement was when I completed my ECDL course. Now I feel that anything in this world is possible as long as I put my mind into it.

Being a full-time mum with 3 young children and working as a receptionist at the same time; I don’t think my 18-year-old self would have believed that I could be the woman I am today.

All this was possible because of the encouragement and support I got from the DIWC. Even on a bad day, I come into the centre and instantly feel better about myself. The crèche facility is a huge driver in enabling me to further my education. Knowing that my children are always nearby puts my mind at ease.

In 5 years’ time, I would like to see myself established in a role where I am even busier than I am now – if that’s even possible! I have been in Dundee for 9 years and I am loving my life here. Sometimes when I go back to Mali I need to readjust myself to fit right back in. Dundee has changed me in ways I thought was never possible. I am now fluent in English, French and Bambara. Even if I move to another city in the future I am confident that I can make the most of it.

Mariam Niakate #WomenOfDundee

6 things I’ve learned in my first month in Scotland

9 March 2016 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

I can’t believe it that it has been a month since I stepped off that plane in Dundee.

Having watched Braveheart, Highlander and Harry Potter, I had some form of expectation of what Scotland would look like. However, Scotland has gone beyond my imagination. The beautiful and inspiring landscapes with a fascinating history have had me mesmerised.

It is almost impossible to describe my feelings and emotions so far on this journey. After much contemplation on my big step of moving abroad, I will try to describe my adventure using the least number of words.

Looking back on my first month in Scotland, I can sum it up in one sentence as “wow, this place is beautiful.”

1. Road trips are fun

Forget about reaching your destination, driving in Scotland is all about getting lost in their scenic routes. Scotland has some of the most scenic roads in the world. My husband and I planned a day trip to House of Bruar but decided to not use any GPS to get to our location.

We got off the beaten track, explored sights along the way, met people in the village shops and cafes and experienced the local culture.

We did not reach House of Bruar as map reading was not our strongest forte, but following the road signs and taking exits that looked good to us led us to Stirling Castle instead. We spent the day at the castle and headed back to Dundee that evening feeling adventurous.

2. The Scottish are the friendliest people!

I have heard the saying that the Scottish people are the friendliest people. Over the years of living in several different countries and travelling I have met some really friendly Scottish people, I was amazed by how nice they were. I thought it was just a lucky coincidence, however, from my first day of arriving in Dundee, I was astonished by the kindness of the locals. From the shopkeepers to the bartenders to the people on the street, I was always greeted with a smile. A lot of the people I met are extremely polite and helpful. They are eager to know why I chose to live in their town.

3. Food is great

Scotland is famous for its haggis, neeps and tatties, shortbread and Iron Bru. However, there is a lot more on the Scottish menu than that. On a scenic drive to Dunnottar Castle, my husband and I took a detour and drove down to Arbroath in search of the famous Puffins. We came across a traditional Scottish restaurant, But’ and Ben known for its seafood dishes. Haddock stuffed with prawns, baked in creamy cheese sauce is a reason we would drive back to Arbroath.

Even your morning regular cornflakes taste better with a great view!

4. No matter where you are in Scotland, a great view is just around the corner

No matter where you are in Scotland, you are just minutes away from a place that will blow your mind away.

This is probably my favorite thing about Scotland. Its beautiful landscape, deep green rippling hills and immense lochs; you will not find any place more tranquil than the Scottish highlands.

5. Close to nature

Coming from a fast-paced life that typifies living in modern Malaysia, I have lost all connection with nature. What a revelation it is to live in a country populated by forests and green hills, where people have preserved a deep and intrinsic connection to their natural surroundings. I was stricken by the number of trees I see in Scotland. Even the most urban-dwelling Scottish has a small garden where they grow their own plants and vegetables.

Besides the extensive forests, the diverse wildlife found in Scotland is truly breathtaking. Driving along the scenic routes, we could see highland cows, horses, sheep, and many more. I will always remember how the locals respect their natural surroundings.

6. Accent

A real Scottish accent is fun to hear. I just love it! The sloshing words sound grand. When I first arrived I could not understand a wee word from my cab driver to being called “love” and “hen”. Also, don’t be fooled to pronounce what you read as it is, most places in Scotland are not said the way they are spelt! Try pronouncing Vormit, if you are lucky you will get it right the first time. Nevertheless, I love the accent here.

written by : Parven Kaur, Volunteer @ DIWC