UTM Helping Hands, in collaboration with UTM’s Department of Language Studies and the Syrian Canadian Foundation, has received almost 160 volunteer applications for tutoring services to Syrian refugees that have been recently admitted to Canada.
Helping Hands is a new club this academic year, founded by UTM student Mohammed Amin, aimed at helping the homeless, the disadvantaged, and orphaned children.
In an interview with The Medium, Amin stated that the Syrian Canadian Foundation helps the club by getting Syrian families in touch with the program through the lists they have of families settling around Mississauga.
The language department is responsible for structuring the ESL classes that started taking place at UTM last week.
The program is divided into a client-based tutoring, which is directed at students who need help on specific subjects like math and science. The volunteers will meet with these students according to their needs on or off-campus.
The second division is academic advising, which is directed “at the refugees who have had their university education disrupted through the process of moving to Canada.”
“We help [the refugees] through their period of transition, and provide help on how to join the Canadian universities,” said Amin, clarifying that people who need to join their program do not need an application process.
According to Amin, the short-term goal of Helping Hands is to make a difference in the lives of individuals seeking their help. Their long-term goal stands as catering to the whole community.
“We aim to leave people coming for language classes with tangible language skills that can get them around the country and facilitate their experience in Canada,” he said.
The Helping Hands founder is expecting to see an increase in the number of people seeking the initiative for help.
