More Than Teaching: Learning Alongside the Mothers

In November 2023, as we spent time with these families week after week, we came to understand something deeper—real change begins with education, especially for the parents. All the parents of the Rohingya children had never been to school. They could not read or write, even in their own language. Now living in the United States, they faced the challenge of learning a new language and adapting to a new culture.

So we began with the mothers. We started teaching simple English—ABCs. But even that was not easy. Many had never held a pencil before. We showed them, step by step, how to write, how to form each letter. Progress was slow, and often, what was learned one week was forgotten the next. At times, it felt discouraging. But over time, something changed—not just in them, but in us.

We learned patience.

We learned to slow down.

We learned to value even the smallest progress.

Education, we realized, is not just about teaching—it is about waiting, caring, and believing. In the end, they were not just learners, they became our teachers.