Fall Edition
The Stars newsletter contains unedited, original work written by and for Washtenaw Literacy learners. The opinions printed here do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or of Washtenaw Literacy
Have fun reading the Fall edition of Stars! The following submissions were written by learners during the Fall semester. We hope you had an excellent semester!
DIAA'S LIFE STORY
by Diaa al-nasser
My name is Diaa al-nasser. I am from Syria and I grew up in the city of Homs. Homs is an ancient city, located in the center of Syria. A beautiful old castle called Krak des Chevaliers, is there. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most important medieval castles in the world. Syria also has a special river that goes from Lebanon to Turkey. It's called Orontes. The name means "different" because it goes the opposite direction than the other rivers in Syria. If you tell your kids to do something and one of them doesn't do it, you would call him "Orotes." Homs was a very beautiful city with many trees and rivers.

I went to Trade High School in Homs and graduated in 2001. After that, I went into the Army. In my country, every man must serve in the Army for 2 1/2 years. I wanted to finish my military duty before getting a job or going to college. I loved to cook, so after serving in the Army, I opened a restaurant. I called it "The Sunshine Restaurant" because my name, Diaa, means "Sunlight." There was no place for tables and chairs, so it was a take-out restaurant. I made shawarma, falafel, hummus, mutabal, tabouli and many Arabic foods.

I also found a job working in a hospital. I was very busy with 2 jobs. I worked in the hospital from 8:15 - 3:15 and then in the restaurant from 4:00 to midnight, 7 days a week. I wanted to keep learning, so I registered for Trade College, an open college where I worked on my own every weekend. After 3 months, I got sick and couldn't work anymore. The doctor found out that I had kidney problems. I had dialysis for 2 years and finally got a new kidney in 2009.

In 2011, the war started in my country. That was very difficult, scary and sad. "Why?" I asked myself. "Why does everybody fight?" There was bombing everywhere. I didn't have my medication. The Doctor gave me an iron injection and I was allergic to it. I couldn't breathe and almost died. It was hard for me to find a safe place for my family. There was my wife, Waad, our two children, my parents and 2 sisters. We moved seven times. Everywhere we went the war followed. The war looked like when a fire starts. Soon it will spread and be here and burn everything--a whole country.

I n 2013, we left our country and flew from Damascus to Jordan. I didn't want to do that, but it was necessary for my family. When we were in the airplane, we looked down and saw a country with no trees, no water, all desert. It looked so different from our green homeland of Syria. When we arrived in Jordan we lived in the basement of an old house. It was hard for us to find a house because there were about one million Syrian refugees there.

We lived in the basement for 6 months with no sun or fresh air. Then we moved to a good house. I registered at the United Nations to get help for food, to find a job and to find another country. I learned that my house in Syria was bombed when we were in Jordan. We couldn't return to Syria. Everything was gone. My parents and 2 sisters still live in Jordan. They would love to come to the United States, but they can't.

In 2014, a person from the United Nations spoke to us and asked us "would you like to go to the United States?" I told him "Yes!" Then we went to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to check our information. They asked why we were seeking refuge and why we couldn't return to Syria. We finally got our ID's and passports. This took over two years.

We got to the U.S. in December 2016. We flew over Chicago and it was amazing from the sky. I loved the U.S. even before I landed on the ground. From the sky, we saw it is a big country where everything is beautiful.

Then we flew to Detroit. As we flew over, we saw frozen lakes and white snow, but I knew that everything would turn green and the lakes would turn to water, because I had read all about Michigan. I was happy to see the water. It gives everything life.

We landed at the Detroit airport. It was very big. Everything is big here. In my country, we don't have tall buildings. When someone tells you something, you can imagine, but you don't really know. When you see for yourself, it is great. Here you say "seeing is believing."

Travel was hard for us. I was sick and now we had 3 kids. The trip was about 31 hours---about 15 hours in the airplane and about 15 hours in the airport. We waited for someone from Jewish Family Services to pick us up. They helped us so much.

We stayed at a hotel for 2 days. Then an American family took us in as guests for 2 weeks. They were an amazing family. We don't speak English. They don't speak Arabic, but we understand each other. They were lovely, kind people.

We moved to Ypsilanti. Now we must learn English, but I was sick, so I couldn't go to English class. Jewish Family Services helped us. My kids started school. They didn't know English but they learn fast.

Then I heard about Washtenaw Literacy from my kid's teacher. I connected with Jennifer and now I have a tutor. Everybody here likes to help. I am happy to study English and American culture. I study hard and I am more independent. I want to improve my language to help my kids and myself.

War is bad for everyone, humans, animals, and the earth. For me, now my country is the United States. This country saved me, respects me and keeps my family safe. I loved Syria and I almost died in my country. Now my home is here.

I sincerely love the country and the people of the United States.

Diaa
school_supplies_desk.jpg
Alan Cooper
I was taking automotive and autobody classes at WCC. The laws about my tuition grant changed, and I would have to pay for it myself. I thought about what I could do; borrow money, get a job, or try to get a GED. I enrolled in the literacy program at WCC. I thought I had enough to complete my GED, but I did not. I stayed there for a while, some of the things I passed, some I did not. I found out the program was harder than I thought. I realized there was more to it than just the GED. Now, I am studying reading, writing, and math with Washtenaw Literacy. I do feel as though I am a better reader. I am getting along with other people more than I used to. I think Washtenaw Literacy is a great program.


A Woman Nam Carol Jones

They told her lies about her life about thing that was not righ at all her mother saying thing that was not OK wiht her that made Carol not to tell what was going on in her life. You have to tell someone what is. I am a woman that know a lie.

If you tell them but this is not knowing lies. This is the truth about Carol Jones life.

I walk into a room wiht people lying a lot and that is not righ at all, I am Carol as I know a man can follows me and i dont have swing in my waist, and the joy in my feet, that how I know to do, for me and my self and my career was that is me all day long. I work hard it what I do that is how I know to get ahead. I love but I love hard in my life. Dont play games wiht me I don't play at all. I am working hard to get out of school to make a difference in my life.

I mean some thing abou me, if no one is I am, I am a Black woman that can write the thing that are good and know that it is what I want to do in my life. This I know so I can do this in American will love to see this. I know I will like to see Carol Jones go ahead wiht her life and that is what I am going to do wiht God help he not let me down at all he is here.

I want to be the best I can do for Carol Jones. I dont want to be some one else at all just me that is what I want to go out like me, Carol Fly Jones, that is my name and I love me. This is my story to tell about Carol Fly Jones.

Me and my sister Denise Williams she help me a lot. That is my baby I told her I will be here for her and that is what I am doing. She maks me so happy we do lots of things just me and her, and I love her so much, I call her my little girl. That is what she is to me. I take care of them all I was just 16 going on 17 years old. Did not have a life as a little girl. Now I am 61 I am doing every thing I want to do in life now. Then I had little kids I take care of and I don't now, I go for my self and my sickness too but I go on wiht my life that is what God want me to do for me, to be happy me and the family that I have, Denise Williams, sister of Carol Fly Jones. She is so happy for me now and I love her for been there for me. She tell me how proud of me and dont let no one stop you for what you do in your life. Then but you take care of us all. She was the only one came to see me when I got sick and I love her for that. This is my little girl and I got 3 girls now, not two. Denise is my little girl. No one can take her from me at all. This I mean. Love your sister, Carol Fly Jones.

June 2, 2019
by Carol Jones
Peace of color,
A good colorful world
is the thing of key to life
Remember that without the color
the world could be that dull place.
Listen to thing your way,
Heart song
With you, know the color in your spirit.
Then you will be happy.
A part of the Harmony and peace
kaleidoscope
that reflects
our changing world.
This is it.

We hope that you enjoyed this edition of the
STARS newsletter! If you have any articles that
you would like to be included for the next edition,
please send them to riggins@washtenawliteracy.org.
Washtenaw Literacy's Mission

Believing that literacy is the foundation for a sustainable community,
Washtenaw Literacy provides literacy support, free of charge,
to adults through a network of trained tutors.

It is our Vision to eliminate illiteracy in Washtenaw County.
Washtenaw Literacy, 5577 Whittaker Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, 734-337-3338, washtenawliteracy.org