America is known as the land of the free and home of the brave. But, for some refugee and immigrant women, a new country with a new language and rules can be very tough to navigate. Elena’s Light was born from this very issue.
The organization focuses on educating immigrant and refugee women on the English language. They also offer driver’s education, in hopes that these women will be able to obtain a learner’s permit and have easier access to maternal healthcare.
Using volunteers from the University of New Haven and Yale, the program offers one-on-one home tutoring to Afghan immigrant women in the New Haven area, according to their website. However, Fereshteh Ganjavi, founder of Elena’s Light, would like to see the program expand to serve a more diverse group of women in the future. Currently, there are 12 women enrolled in the program, whose names are unknown for privacy. Every woman is paired with two volunteers who meet for one-two hours per week. Together they practice English and study the state of Connecticut driver’s manual.
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