Meet some of our Silk Road English Centre students
Abu-zar* has tried almost all of the English courses in Mazar-e-Sharif, but says that IAM’s Silk Road English Centre (SREC) is the best one he’s been part of so far. “The teachers are native speakers and the system is international. It’s more effective,” he says. Abu-zar seemed excited to keep learning English as we spoke to him about his future. He plans to use English in his own business, saying that, in business, “a person with English is like a bird with feathers, and a person without English is like a bird without feathers.”
IAM started SREC in 2003 to help adults from Afghanistan compete at an international level in academic and business areas. Around eighty students study with us every workday. English is generally considered to be the international language of business and science, so many students at SREC are taking our English courses to expand their business options or for their university degrees.
Bahirun* is one such person. He is studying English at SREC for his Masters in Business Administration (MBA), which he plans on getting abroad, and he has been with us for two years. Before starting, he knew very little English. Now, Bahirun says he has “enough to solve my problems.” As well as learning English, Bahirun says he has made many friends during the course. He plans to do another two years at SREC, by which point he should be proficient enough to study for his masters.
English is incredibly important for young leaders wanting to make an impact within Afghanistan. Knowing English is a requirement in many jobs. For example, Non-Government Organisations generally require basic English, and it is also helpful in business situations as it opens up a larger range of customers. In order to join in with international conversations in any sector, English is vital. That’s why the Silk Road English Centre exists. It’s one way we are contributing to the future of Afghanistan, helping adult Afghans enter international academic and business fields.
Faarzad* is also studying with SREC to qualify for a university degree, a Bachelors in Business Administration. However, once he gets his degree, he plans to join his family overseas, and so learning English is important to him for this reason as well. Faarzad has studied for around eight months now, and plans to continue until he can finish his degree and join his family. Afghanistan has one of the highest emigration rates in the world, and many new arrivals in foreign countries are unprepared in terms of language. As one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, English will be very useful to Faarzad.
Several programs in Mazar offer English lessons, but the teachers at SREC are native English speakers, which several students said was an important factor to them. Students also say that the SREC teachers are very well trained and more patient than previous teachers they have had.
When asked why he thought that programmes like SREC were important, Bahirun said, “they are working for the education of the young in Afghanistan. They are very important here.” We love playing a part in equipping young adults who are working to give Afghanistan a voice in the international community, and we are excited to see what impact our students make in the future.
Find out more about IAM’s Silk Road English Centre in this infographic, and give now if you want to help support the work of IAM.
*All names changed