National Adult Literacy Database

February 23, 2009

This week, we have a story written by Kadiatu Dumbuya, from Yellowkfnife, Northwest Territories. Kadiatu is the 2007 winner of the premier's Council of the Federation Literacy Award. Her education was frequently interrupted because of the civil war in her home community of Freetown, Sierra Leone. After spending a year and a half in Ghana awaiting immigration to Canada, Kadiatu and her family arrived in the Northwest Territories in 2000. In Yellowknife, Kadi first had to overcome a language barrier. She took English as a Second Language courses and then attended the Adult Literacy and Basic Education program at Aurora College. In three years, Kadi progressed from entry level to Nursing Access, which she will complete this year.

Story

by Kadiatu Dumbuya

My education as a child was peaceful and happy and when I entered secondary school it was really hard because of the war we have to stay out of school for like a year. Sometimes six months and it was on and  and it was really bad. It slowed me down in my education and all of my friends and other people who were going to school too, in Sierra Leone.

In Yellowknife I start my school in the morning - at the time of 9 o'clock and have my school off at 4 o'clock and then I start work at 4:30 at Walmart and then I go home at 9:30 and get ready for the next day.

I have strong motivation like sometimes if I'm discouraged my mom is there to push me and my family.

My hopes and dreams for the future is to go into the social work program. I'm going to go into the social work program because I like helping people and after finishing my education to come back to Yellowknife to work and help the community.

[This story was taken with permission, from The Northern Edge, Issue 6 (2008) published by NWT Literacy Council. This online newspaper contains stories by learners, as well as articles about the North.]