Finding Home with HIPPY

Transcription

g
n
i
d
n
i
F
e
m
o
H
with
HIPPY
Volume 3
the stories of
twenty-one women
in Canada
November 2015
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Evangeline 3
Blaine
4
Jenny 5
Mariana 7
Christine
9
Patience 12
Asma
14
Sumaira 16
Mai
18
Ani 19
Yan
20
Juan 22
Suzan
24
Emily 27
Joahna
29
Naomi
32
Sidonia
34
Lojitha and Deepa
36
Inti 38
Tatiana
39
1 • Finding Home with HIPPY - Volume 3
Introduction
These stories were collected as part of the HIPPY Story Bank project, in
which 21 grandmothers, mothers and Home Visitors from HIPPY sites
across Canada shared their experiences of “Finding Home” with the
HIPPY program. Each story illustrates how isolated families, who were
once limited by linguistic, economic, educational and cultural barriers,
are supported through the HIPPY program to be productive, creative
and socially integrated members of their communities and Canadian
society.
This book pays tribute to the 21 participants who inspired us with
how they are making the world a better place for their families and
communities each and every day.
Evangeline
Evangeline is a HIPPY Mother now training to become a HIPPY Home Visitor
for Aboriginal HIPPY in Nanaimo, B.C. Evangeline has participated in HIPPY
with four of her five children.
Through HIPPY Evangeline learned new strategies for teaching her children:
So it is nice to be able to have that time to sit and watch them colour and cut and they sit
there and they read and answer questions. And you know, stuff that you don’t think about,
especially when you are reading because I always read to my kids but I’ve never sat and I
asked, like recapped til they got older. Like I never asked them stories, like questions about the
stories that we read. It was just, if they would want to read a book, then we would read a book
and that’s it. So it’s kind of teaching to slow down, observe and have them answer questions
from the pages we read.
Evangeline has noticed how excited her children are to do HIPPY activities and how they have
improved in the program:
They are really excited to do it... Oh gosh, they like the new books. Every time my daughter gets
a book in her package she’s so happy. I think pretty much every part of it they really enjoy. Like
you can see the colouring changes. Like they’ve gone through a stage where they’re both just
kind of outlining to other weeks where they full on colour everything right in and it’s nice to see
how they change with their daily activities.
HIPPY has given Evangeline more time to bond with her children:
I just think that it is a great program. It kind of helps strengthen the bonds between me and my
children. And to be able to see them doing things that normally as a parent we wouldn’t do
with them. And giving us that one-on-one time. It’s been great.”
Blaine
Blaine is a HIPPY Mother of the Nisga’a Nation at Urban Aboriginal HIPPY in
Vancouver, B.C. She was born and raised in Vancouver and has four boys.
Aboriginal HIPPY helped Blaine to begin conversations with her children about their cultural identity
and to learn about other Aboriginal cultures in Canada:
Learning about different First Nations cultures. They’ve always known theirs but there’s different types
of cultures. I’m from the Nisga’a Nation.
Just teaching, dancing, you know, bringing up that maybe we could start joining our group and
you know, learning our language, yeah... Stuff that I had already done back when I was small.
Blaine has seen improvement in her children because of HIPPY:
When they went through the HIPPY homework it got them into introducing different colours and
practising holding the crayons and stuff. I think it also helped like bringing up speech. Giving
them the words to use. Encouraging them to learn different words and yeah, communication.
Even the basics, you know like letters and numbers and patterns and using pencil crayons, just
being able to hold it properly. Just getting into colouring and stuff.
Yeah I saw an improvement on learning ‘cause his alphabet and counting and stuff. And that’s w
hat he was kind of falling behind on.
I think definitely, with the HIPPY homework it helped. You know, just help prepare them for kindergarten.
Yeah, and I’ve noticed a difference with my oldest and the youngest. Probably the confidence. Just
sharing what they learnt.
Through activities and practice, HIPPY taught Blaine’s children without their being aware of the
educational aspects:
They don’t know they’re learning but they actually are learning just in a different way.
Being a HIPPY Mother has helped Blaine to better understand what her children are learning:
You know, being able to learn what they are learning and do it throughout while they’re starting
school.
Jenny
Jenny is a HIPPY Home Visitor and HIPPY Grandmother from the Mistawasis Nation
at Aboriginal HIPPY Saskatoon. Following her daughter’s death, Jenny is now
raising her granddaughter who is currently in HIPPY.
Becoming a HIPPY Home Visitor has changed Jenny’s life:
Is that before I was always a caregiver. I was looking after my father and then my mother
and then my daughter and then my uncle had all passed away. And like three years apart.
And then I lost my uncle in a year. I lost my whole family. And I was at a point where I didn’t do
anything. I was depressed. And when I was selected for this interview and then I was selected
for HIPPY, it brought back my caring and my willing to help others. For me HIPPY would be a
continuing teaching my grandchildren and children and helping them to strive in school. And
teaching the importance that the parent involvement in children is very important. I’d like to
continue to be a Home Visitor.
HIPPY increases confidence and prepares children for school:
If you’re teaching them that, if you’re teaching them the HIPPY program and they’re going
through that, they’re understanding concepts and learning and being in a social environment
later as they go into school. And it broadens their – you know – their learning capacity. And
then they want more. It’s a start for them for when they get into school. It allows them to not
be afraid and to know that this is what the school environment is about, this is what learning is
about. And it ties in with everything with the school and the learning curriculum in the school.
It’s very good. It relates to the school curriculum.
Jenny has noticed positive changes in her granddaughter since participating in HIPPY:
Yes, really excited. She has a little bit of pride in herself. You can tell by the way... It’s almost like
she is showing me what she has learnt and she’s teaching me. And the excitement in her eyes.
And she’s very satisfied with what she has learnt. Her speech has developed more.
Her eye contact and her listening skills are very, very good. And out of the blue she would say,
for a four year old, she turned four in April, and she would say, “Oh, it’s under there. Let me show
you.” And she would go under the table. And she’d say, “See, I told you, it is under there.” She
grasped the concepts of what we were teaching, of my daughter teaching her the basics of
her overall learning.
As a HIPPY Home Visitor, Jenny has seen lasting bonds created between HIPPY children
and HIPPY parents:
When you see them, like the mother teaching the child at home and then, they’re their main
teachers, like the HIPPY suggested they are, and it is true that they’re the first and foremost
teachers. And they have that bond. And then the parent has that involvement in the school and
even in the beginning years and later on years of their life, it’s there and they’ve developed that
bond, that trust.
That the parents connected with their child. They have a bond. And the parent is the number
one teacher in their life and then the parent is doing that for their child. They can see that
connection and their role in their life and that creates a bond, creates a trust. And I think the
parent feels that.
While being a HIPPY Home Visitor, Jenny has noticed families enthusiastic to be doing HIPPY:
They come to me, “Do you have the other week?” And I’m going, “Oh, you’re finished already?
Oh, okay.” And then I would give them the other week and go through it with them and role-play
it. And really quickly some of them were the working ones. And for the parent to come and ask
me for the next week before even the week is done, it just shows that they’re... Yeah, they want
more. There’s that connection. The child wants to learn and they’re learning and their cognitive
development is growing.
It’s easy. It’s very easy to understand. And that’s what the parents really enjoy, it’s that it’s really
easy to understand and really easy to teach their child.
And I give her extra stuff, like on my own that I get, and she enjoys it. She wants to keep on
learning.
I tell you, they enjoy the books. They’re so great, they’re so interesting, they’re so colourful and
they enjoy them... All of a sudden one comes and wants me to read and then there’s laughter,
like expressions on their face. Yeah, so they’re connecting with the book. And when you ask them
questions later they respond.
HIPPY helps the community by helping parents teach their children:
It is a working program. It’s a successful program. And that every community, every Aboriginal
community, should have this program. I strongly give HIPPY... What is it, how many stars can you
give? Yes, I give it five out of five. Definitely. Yeah. It’s so easy. It gives you the tools. It gives the
parents the tools to teach their children and the fundamentals of learning.
And basic things that you would normally teach your child before going to school and some of
the parents, they don’t have those tools, those learning concepts of what a child needs to get
ready before going to school. They have the manners like “please” and “thank you,” but they
don’t have the scholastic, the educational component. And HIPPY does have the educational
component for the whole child’s whole development and that’s one thing that they need to help
the child develop right from the beginning.
Jenny describes the connection between Aboriginal HIPPY and Aboriginal cultures:
I do say a few words like, “Do you know what this means?” and I say, from some of the books and
teach them the Cree word for “sit” or “walk” or “ berries” or you know. And they’ ll say them.
And the book...Mother Nature, like that, my granddaughter, she’s like, “Oh, that’s what we do.”
And I go, “Yeah, that’s what we do, yeah. You pick berries and you have to say Thank You.”
And she says, “Yeah. You do.” Yeah, it shows she relates to the book and what we’re doing. And
same with the other family, the Amos. They see that. They like the books because it relates to their
culture...and it ties in...and they agree with it. So it’s very gratifying for them.
Mariana
Mariana est une Mère HIPPY à la ville du Québec. Elle est venue de
la Mexique au Canada avec son fils autiste pour trouver une nouvelle
vie avec plus de sécurité.
Mariana décrive ses difficultés quand elle est venue au Canada :
Au début, oui, oui, c’était trop difficile parce que je n’avais pas de français, je n’avais pas
de travail et c’était très, très difficile parce que j’ai eu la dépression post-partum. Et c’était
très difficile parce que mon enfant, il est né avec une malformation des lèvres. Beaucoup de
chirurgies, beaucoup de thérapies et beaucoup de médecin.
Mariana est heureuse qu’il y a une place pour les enfants autistes dans le programme :
Je suis vraiment contente d’avoir l’opportunité de participer dans ce programme parce que
c’est vraiment une opportunité pour les enfants. Et je suis vraiment remerciant parce que ce n’est
pas seulement pour les enfants. Il y a une place pour (tous) les enfants, qu’il y a une version
spéciale et je pense que le programme fait tout l’effort pour travailler avec tous les enfants,
tous les enfants et je suis vraiment contente que je suis parte de ça.
J’ai demandé à Jessica s’il peut faire ça (le programme) s’il (mon fils) est autiste et elle m’a dit
« Oui, bien sûr ». Et j’ai dit : « Okay, on va faire ça » et c’est pour ça que je connais HIPPY. »
Le fils de Mariana a beaucoup amélioré avec HIPPY :
Oui! Oui, oui, oui. Parce que mon enfant maintenant il déjà sait l’alphabet, les numéros, et il
déjà écrit son nom et même, il joue avec les enfants parce que HIPPY a les activités le mercredi
à une école et il a adapté à ses amis. »
Oui, mais mon enfant bien a avancé beaucoup avec les figures, les couleurs, et « entre »,
« dans », « sur »... Il sait beaucoup de choses. Et il peut couper maintenant, sa motricité n’est
pas bonne, mais maintenant il peut couper. »
Mon enfant a avancé beaucoup. Oui, parce qu’au début, il ne pouvait pas prendre un crayon,
il ne pouvait pas faire ça, même sa motricité n’est pas bonne, et il ne pouvait pas prendre, par
exemple, les ciseaux. Il ne comprenait rien de ça, des devoirs, il ne comprenait vraiment rien. Et
chaque fois c’est différent, chaque fois, et maintenant je suis vraiment contente parce qu’il sait
comment écrire son nom, les numéros, il sait les numéros jusqu’à soixante. Même l’école m’a dit
que... Maintenant selon l’école il doit compter à vingt et maintenant mon fils sait comment à
compter jusqu’à soixante. Même son nom, il déjà sait comment l’écrire, les couleurs, les figures...
Il a fait beaucoup de changements. J’ai vraiment vu qu’il a fait beaucoup de changements.
HIPPY a aidé Mariana sentir mieux, sortir la maison et trouver des amis :
J’aime que ce n’est pas seulement comment interagir les devoirs, c’est aussi un soutien pour moi.
C’est n’est pas seulement les devoirs, sinon, même toujours il y a un soutien pour les personnes
qui se sentent mal et j’ai regardé Asma toujours et elle me parlait, même si j’étais fâchée ou si j’ai
senti mal, elle a parlé avec moi et c’est un soutien vraiment important pour moi parce que je suis
tombée en une dépression forte et je pense qu’elle ne savait pas mais elle m’a aidé beaucoup
à sortir de ça...Elle donne les soutiens, même psychologiques...Et les enfants sont importants mais
aussi les mères sont importantes.
Mais j’ai fait un changement dans ma vie parce qu’Asma m’a dit « Non, non, non, tu ne dois
pas rester à ta maison, vous pouvez venir à l’activité... Et toujours elle m’a appelée pour aller
à l’activité et ça c’est bon pour moi... Et même je sors socialement, je connais beaucoup de
monde maintenant. Et même mon enfant, il a beaucoup d’amis maintenant. Oui, parce qu’on
connaît d’HIPPY pendant les activités du groupe. J’ai commencé à connaître des personnes,
et mon enfant aussi.
Maintenant, cette année j’ai commencé à connaître beaucoup de personnes, beaucoup de
personnes m’ont aidé à surmonter ma situation. Et HIPPY c’est très, très, impliqué dans moi parce
que j’ai pu surmonter ça à cause de Mme Asma qui m’a sauvée toujours. Elle m’a dit : « Tu dois
faire ça, tu dois faire ça » et ce sont les choses qui m’ont aidée pour surmonter la situation
cette année.
Oui, parce que je suis tombée en une dépression très forte quand j’ai reçu la diagnostique
de mon enfant. C’est quand est arrivée Mme Asma et elle m’a aidée beaucoup. »
Je pense que si les parents restent bien, les enfants vont rester bien. Oui, parce que c’est
une chose que j’ai vécue dans ma vie.
Mariana a appris comment enseigner son enfant avec HIPPY :
Maintenant je le connais mieux, je sais quelles sont les choses qui peuvent aider pour enseigner
et étudier. Maintenant je sais beaucoup de façons d’enseigner quelque chose, pour jouer,
pour enseigner.
Christine
Christine est une Visiteuse à domicile senior et une Mère HIPPY d’Ottawa.
Elle est venue de la République démocratique du Congo. Elle faillait
chercher un autre pays avec son mari et ses enfants à cause de problèmes
avec le gouvernement au Congo.
Christine parle de son expérience d’arriver au Canada :
Quand je suis arrivée au Canada je me sentais vraiment dépaysée. Avant j’avais presque
le statut de diplômât. Je n’avais pas de problèmes, je n’avais pas beaucoup d’amis mais
j’avais une certaine position. Dès que je suis arrivée, je devrais recommencer la vie à zéro
avec des enfants. Ce n’était pas facile. Ce n’était vraiment pas facile. C’est quelque chose
qui a beaucoup perturbé ma famille, mon mari et moi. C’était très difficile. Donc, il faillait que
j’apprends la langue et retourne à l’école parce que mon diplôme n’était pas accepté. Tout
ça c’était vraiment frustrant.
La difficulté c’est vraiment l’intégration. Oui, la première difficulté c’est cette affaire de
l’intégration... Et puis, l’isolement.
Sa fille était prête pour l’école avec HIPPY :
Avec ma fille...À l’école elle est déjà prête en avant des autres enfants dans ses habilités.
Quand ma fille est allée à la maternelle, je pense qu’elle est vraiment meilleure par rapport
des autres enfants. Son professeur dit qu’elle est vraiment intelligente. Et j’étais comme « Oui,
elle est intelligente » mais j’ai mon secret, tu vois?
Et ça donne aussi à mon enfant la facilité de se réagir avec son environnement. Elle est
confiante. La confiance de l’enfant, je pense que ça commence ici dans la maison. Dans
la maison nous donnons sa place et ça donne beaucoup plus de confiance.
Un avancement, vraiment, et avec une base HIPPY...Vraiment mon mari et moi nous avons
noté un changement à notre famille, de la confiance et de l’unité de la famille. On a toute la
famille autour de la table pour travailler, on a la routine de 15 minutes par jour et c’est très
intéressant. J’aime beaucoup ce programme autant que Mère HIPPY autant que Visiteuse.
Je l’aime beaucoup.
C’était vraiment important pour Christine de trouver un bon travail et de continuer avec
son éducation :
J’ai essayé de combiner trois choses : j’allais à l’école, et je voulais vraiment avoir un bon
travail, et j’ai choisi l’école pour l’administration. J’avais l’école d’administration le matin et le midi
je travaillais à ce travail-là et le soir j’avais les enfants dans le programme de HIPPY. À cette
époque il y avait comme une année comme ça...J’ai choisi de faire des cours de soir...Et un
autre grand défi, je voulais faire tout cela en anglais. Il me faillait aussi étudier l’anglais alors
c’était vraiment beaucoup d’effort.
Bouchra
J’ai fini tout, j’ai mon diplôme de comptabilité, j’ai mon diplôme d’administration et finalement
j’ai arrêté ce travail-là... et j’ai commencé à trouver un bon travail. C’est comme ça que j’ai
trouvé le travail avec HIPPY.
Oui, mais mon enfant bien a avancé beaucoup avec les figures, les couleurs, et « entre »,
« dans », « sur »... Il sait beaucoup de choses. Et il peut couper maintenant, sa motricité n’est
pas bonne, mais maintenant il peut couper. »
Mon enfant a avancé beaucoup. Oui, parce qu’au début, il ne pouvait pas prendre un crayon,
il ne pouvait pas faire ça, même sa motricité n’est pas bonne, et il ne pouvait pas prendre, par
exemple, les ciseaux. Il ne comprenait rien de ça, des devoirs, il ne comprenait vraiment rien. Et
chaque fois c’est différent, chaque fois, et maintenant je suis vraiment contente parce qu’il sait
comment écrire son nom, les numéros, il sait les numéros jusqu’à soixante. Même l’école m’a dit
que... Maintenant selon l’école il doit compter à vingt et maintenant mon fils sait comment à
compter jusqu’à soixante. Même son nom, il déjà sait comment l’écrire, les couleurs, les figures...
Il a fait beaucoup de changements. J’ai vraiment vu qu’il a fait beaucoup de changements.
Avec HIPPY Christine a appris plus sur l’éducation au Canada et elle peut parler avec
le professeur de sa fille :
Ce que c’était différent c’est que j’ai appris les méthodes et les techniques, comment interagir
avec mon enfant. Moi je lisais les livres de HIPPY et on a appris que... tu dois lire un livre avec
un enfant, le même livre, comme huit fois, une chose comme ça. Et les techniques pour vraiment
lire les livres, expression de la voix, et puis la routine, ça c’est quelque chose que je n’avais pas,
sincèrement. Et l’ horaire que j’ai appris avec HIPPY... J’ai appris comment établir l’ horaire, ça j’ai
appris avec HIPPY.
J’ai appris les termes techniques scolaires... Avec HIPPY j’ai appris toutes ces habilités-là.
Les habilités comme la perception spatiale, la créativité, le développement du langage, les
concepts mathématiques, la pensée logique... Alors, chaque fois que je me présente devant
le professeur de ma fille je sais vraiment intervenir discuter avec elle, comprendre les termes
au Canada.
Christine utilise les stratégies qu’elle a apprises avec HIPPY pendant la vie quotidienne :
Quand je découvre qu’elle a certaines lacunes dans un domaine ou un autre, j’essaye de faire
les notes ou de refaire une activité avec elle. Oui, j’observe mon enfant bien. Je regarde si
elle a la perception spatiale, j’essaye de faire un exercice avec elle pour voir si elle a ça... Par
exemple, si je vois qu’elle n’a pas ça, je développe certains autres exercices pour qu’on puisse
travailler sur ça... On travaille vraiment comme chaque jour.
J’ai lu aussi à relier les expériences quotidiennes d’apprentissage avec mon enfant, donc
j’ai utilisé les études de HIPPY dans les expériences quotidiennes, par exemple d’apprendre
à cuisiner avec mon enfant, ce sont des choses difficiles mais... Ça tu apprends. Donc, on
se réveille le matin, on fait le déjeuner ensemble, on fait cuire ensemble, on fait des choses
ensemble, et c’est facile. Tout ça j’ai appris avec HIPPY... On apprend à faire tout cela
ensemble. »
Christine a écrit deux chansons pour parler des avantages du programme HIPPY :
Parce que je voulais en faire partager aux autres familles les changements qui se sont passés
en moi. Et j’ai choisi ça parce que je voulais partager mon expérience avec les mamans avec
qui je visite et je parle beaucoup de ce programme. Je pense que c’est à cause d’elles que j’ai
écrit des chansons pour HIPPY.
C’est très fort, c’est très, très fort, oui. Et que je dis mon enfant va réussir avec HIPPY, je
m’implique... Oui, avec HIPPY mon enfant peut au moins avoir la possibilité de réussir, d’être un
enfant différent, d’avoir la qualité des enfants qui sont voulus au Canada. De donner plus que
l’école peut lui donner. Alors avec mon enfant à la maison j’ai des autres outils pour renforcer les
habilités... et pourquoi ne partage pas ça avec les familles? HIPPY c’est un programme magique
pour moi.
J’ai créé un slogan... « Mon enfant va réussir avec HIPPY, je m’implique. »
La vie de Christine a changé avec HIPPY :
Oui, parce que pour moi HIPPY c’est vraiment quelque chose qui a changé ma vie. Donc,
quand je dis que ça a changé ma vie, ça a vraiment changé ma vie. Au de-là, quand
j’étais dans un grand, grand stress, je passe par ma famille qui était un peu transformée
par nos relations...
Maintenant HIPPY me donne un travail. Je sente bien, tu vois? Je sente bien dans ce travail.
Avec ce travail je peux aider ma capacité de planifier. J’ai plusieurs dimensions parce que moi
à la base je suis de formation marketing. Ça me donne de la responsabilité de la promotion.
Et je peux voir le programme par rapport à ça. Et ça me donne aussi la côté créativité. Donc,
qu’est-ce que je peux faire pour améliorer l’état des familles que je visite... Comment? Et c’est
comme ça que je suis arrivée à composer ces chansons. C’est une histoire en moi que je veux
transmettre par la chanson.
Je sente importante. Maintenant quand je sors en route je suis comme « Oui! Je suis
importante. ». Avant quand je suis arrivée ici, et je sortais en route personne m’a vue... Tu
ne sentes pas importante. Personne te salut. Personne te regarde. Pour moi c’était scandaleux.
Si personne te connais, personne peut donner le pouvoir. Ça crée la frustration...Ça demande
seulement d’autres méthodes, d’autres techniques. Mais avec HIPPY je peux vivre par là.
Tu as vraiment besoin de HIPPY parce que ça te connecte avec la communauté. Moi aussi, j’ai
appris comment utiliser les ressources communautaires avec HIPPY...On est proche à beaucoup
de choses. Maintenant c’est trois ans au Canada, on a perdu beaucoup de temps...Aujourd’ hui
je sente beaucoup plus indépendante.
Patience
Patience est une Visiteuse à domicile et une Mère HIPPY du Toronto.
Elle est immigrée au Canada en juillet 2011 de la République
démocratique du Congo. Elle était réfugiée.
Patience trouvait les barrières quand elle est arrivée au Canada :
Oui, au début, en fait c’était très difficile parce que je ne connaissais trop bien l’anglais. J’ai mis
mon fils dans une école anglaise et c’est grâce à lui aussi, j’ai fait HIPPY pour qu’il puisse m’aider
avec l’anglais aussi. Le programme HIPPY me permet aussi de continuer avec le français. La
barrière, en fait, j’ai tout cassé ça, en apprenant l’anglais. Pour moi de parler c’était très difficile,
mais comme le Canada c’est un pays bilingue... avec les organismes gouvernementaux on peut
parler français. Mais le reste, la vie quotidienne, c’était très, très difficile.
Au début, oui. Au début j’avais très peur...J’avais peur de parler en anglais. J’avais peur que si
je parlais quelqu’un ne puisse comprendre…J’avais peur d’être jugée. Mais les personnes étaient
gentilles et j’ai parlé avec les gestes...C’est sûr qu’au début c’était très, très difficile, la barrière
de la langue et de la regarde des gens, d’être jugé, de maigrir les choses, de se tromper, de
ne pas comprendre. Donc, j’ai utilisé mon fils un peu. Les enfants parlent beaucoup et il a appris
l’anglais très, très vite...Il était toujours à côté.
Patience explique comment elle a changé en devenant une Visiteuse à domicile pour HIPPY :
La chose que j’ai remarquée aussi c’était la préhension d’aller loin, de sortir mon environnent,
de sortir de mon horizon. Je voulais m’impliquer mais la chose qui m’a fait peur au début, autant
que francophone, c’était d’aller partout à Toronto. Ça m’a vraiment fait peur. Comment pouvaisje faire? Je vais commencer comment? Cette expérience-là de pouvoir d’aller à gauche, à droit,
à l’est, à l’ouest, ça m’a donnée peur complètement... moi-même j’ai raconté que maintenant
je n’ai pas peur d’aller. Quelqu’un peut me donner une adresse et je peux y aller. Oui, oui, je
prends le bus... Avant c’était vraiment une peur... En fait c’était une force que j’ai trouvé intérieure
de moi-même, c’était un challenge... Et maintenant n’importe quelle adresse que tu peux me
donner nulle peut me donner peur. »
En fait, je l’ai considéré presque comme une confidente (Visiteuse à domicile). Si j’avais un
problème, je l’ai appelé et j’ai posé ma question. Elle avait toujours la réponse, elle avait
toujours de bons conseils. Et à partir de là elle est devenue presque comme ma confidente. Je
savais qu’elle ne me jugeait pas. Et donc, je n’avais pas un problème de poser les questions.
J’avais un problème avec mon compte banquier et elle m’a expliqué et elle m’a aidée
énormément. Je suis vraiment reconnaissante pour ça. Oui, même pour l’école, même pour
beaucoup de choses.
Oui, oui, parce qu’avant de commencer le programme HIPPY je n’avais pas vraiment les
objectifs...Je ne voyageais pas...Je n’avais pas un exemple. Je n’avais pas un objectif concret.
Maintenant cela a complètement changé, je suis complètement différente d’avant HIPPY...Mes
objectifs ont complètement changé.
Patience a choisi de devenir une Visiteuse à domicile parce qu’elle veut aider les autres parents
comment elle était aidée avec HIPPY :
Pour partager mon expérience, pour montrer comment j’étais aidée, comment je suis maintenant
ouverte, ouverte au monde, pour affronter la vie, que la vie est devenue un challenge de tous
les jours. Je le fais pour apporter aux eux ce qu’il m’a apporté aux autres mamans. Pour moi
c’est une grande réussite... C’est comme je dois redonner ce que HIPPY m’a donné.
Je vois bien le changement [dans les vies des parents HIPPY]. Je vois que j’apporte quelque
chose de positif.
Quand on fait le programme on voit comment le programme peut apporter et on voit les
changements dans les enfants et dans les mamans aussi.
Je suis vraiment très, très, fière de moi parce que je vois mon ouverture et aussi les autres
mamans de notre communauté...Je vois comment elles sont ouvertes à moi pour me poser
les questions.
Je veux qu’elles arrivent là où moi, je suis arrivée. Même, je pousse, la plupart, je pousse
à faire les études comme j’étais poussée. Je les pousse à faire les études, de couper ces
barrières...De voir les changements dans leurs vies de tous les jours aussi et même les enfants,
particulièrement quand les enfants m’accueillent.
Asma
Asma est une Visiteuse à domicile et une Mère HIPPY à la ville du Québec.
Elle est venue de l’Algérie et elle a quatre garçons.
Asma parle de ses défis quand elle est arrivée au Canada :
Difficile de changer un pays, de changer un continent, de changer tout. Ce n’est pas évident...
C’est comme de refaire la vie à zéro et de commencer à zéro. Surtout de la culture, le pays, la
ville, alors tout était vraiment différent, ça c’est sûr. Ce n’est pas la même culture, le même climat.
Oui, on avait beaucoup de défis, beaucoup de changements. C’était comme pas mal de défis
qu’on a passé, oui.
C’est dur c’est sur parce que quand j’étais enceinte j’avais un autre enfant et de trouver les
ressources et tout ça n’était pas évident. Et à l’époque il n’y avait pas vraiment une orientation
ou comme un … pour vous d’aller … c’était à vous d’aller chercher... Où chercher la bonne
qualité des vêtements, c’est quoi la culture québécoise, tout ça. À l’époque il n’y avait pas ce
genre des ateliers ou des initiatives.
HIPPY avait un effet positif sur ses élèves :
J’ai trouvé vraiment un impact par ce programme sur ses études. Dans la maternelle il était
le premier de sa classe, même il a commencé à lire avant son âge. C’était vraiment pertinent
avec ça.
C’est sur concernent le développement pour l’apprentissage et tout cela a vraiment aidé à
préparer avant d’aller à l’école...Mais avec ça, avec HIPPY...il y a un apprentissage régulier,
chaque jour. Alors, je dirais que j’ai profité de ça avec mes enfants.
Oh, ils aiment vraiment beaucoup de choses. Toutes les histoires. Ils ont l’ habitude de lire les
histoires chaque fois et ils attendent avec patience les histoires. Oui, ils aiment surtout les
nouveaux techniques qu’on apprise et tout cela est vraiment beau. Et tout ce programme il y
a pas mal des activités...Quand je compare...[HIPPY avec mes expériences comme bénévole à
l’école]...la matière qui est différente mais les principes sont vraiment les mêmes. Je crois que c’est
ça qu’a donné le privilège à mon fils d’être très avancé.
Je dirais aussi qu’il y a un changement de leurs habilités et leurs comportements. Quand je dis
comportement, c’est vraiment social, d’apprendre plus sur les autres, sur les autres cultures aussi.
HIPPY vraiment engage les parents de partout, alors cela a donné un contact avec plusieurs
cultures, des autres connaissances.
Vraiment, c’est un bon programme. C’est un programme bien précis, bien étudié.
Asma sait que HIPPY aide les parents :
C’est vraiment un programme qui enseigne bien la pédagogie pour apprendre l’apprentissage
des enfants, leur développement. Je dirais qu’il y a pas mal d’impact sur les enfants avec ça et
cela aide vraiment les parents pour travailler avec leurs enfants. Au lieu d’aller chercher c’est
quoi leurs besoins, on a déjà le programme-là qui explique tous les besoins des enfants. Et
on peut connaître aussi de traiter les enfants avec ce programme, parce qu’on familiarise, on
apprend, on bricole, on fait toute sorte de choses. C’est une occasion de s’approcher peu à
peu à la vie de nos enfants.
Asma aime comment elle peut travailler comme Visiteuse à domicile et être avec sa famille au
même temps. Son travail encourage aussi ses aspirations pour l’avenir :
J’ai ma chance de travailler et de trouver ma vie au même temps avec ma famille. HIPPY
m’a permis de travailler. C’est un travail flexible, là je pourrais rejoindre et c’est moi qui gérer
mes heures de mon travail et de ma famille en même temps. Je crois que c’est ça qui m’a
vraiment inspiré.
Oui, j’ai vu que HIPPY...J’ai déjà cinq ans avec HIPPY, mais cela a ajouté une bonne partie
de mon expérience pour moi à ma vie ici au Canada.
C’est sûr, de continuer pour ma carrière, pour aller plus loin. J’arrive toujours au côté l’art... qui
est ma spécialité de mes études universitaires mais là, jusqu’à maintenant je peux garder les
deux, d’impliquer les deux. Alors, c’est ça, de réaliser quelque chose que je rêve, de vraiment
me lancer sur le côté d’aller plus loin. »
Sumaira
Sumaira is a HIPPY Home Visitor and HIPPY Mother in Oakville, Ontario.
Sumaira immigrated to Canada from Saudi Arabia.
Sumaira’s daughter has learned many new skills from the HIPPY program:
When we were in the middle of the program, almost like 15 to 20 weeks, I noticed that my
daughter has really, you know, done really well in the fine motor skills and the cutting part and
the, you could say, the leadership qualities and then now she is in SK and she finished age 5
and she has graduated from HIPPY, and I can see a major difference in her learning and writing
and reading skills and I can actually be her teacher too. So her teacher was really impressed
about the program and she knows about HIPPY because my daughter is really doing well in her
class too. If I compare it with my older son I notice that she is like really doing well for what her
age is as compared to my son.
Being a HIPPY Mother helped Sumaira connect with her children:
We really made a good connection. And she was expecting that every day I would come bring
something for her, like maybe a small sheet of colouring or a drawing or writing some sentences
or letters, so she was really happy. Now, since then, she has the habit of every night we read a
book to her, same as my other two kids, yeah, they all come and we all, and in one bed, we all
read a book, and that is their own choice of book, whatever they want. So, so that is amazing,
I’ve noticed the connection between kids and parents has developed. And you are doing these
activities consistently.
Sumaira hopes to help newcomers in her community with HIPPY:
So I think being a part of the community, it is our responsibility to help them. And HIPPY really helped
me a lot because when I, as a Home Visitor, I told a lot of people about HIPPY and people start
asking different questions and they show interest; and they, you know, my kid’s school principal too.
And I think that is a good way to call people to join HIPPY and tell about how HIPPY works for the
community.”
To help the community, especially the people who are having difficulty speaking English or who
are new immigrants and don’t have anybody to help them and helping their child. And sometimes
people can’t speak English properly so, they don’t know how to approach resources too, to help
their child, to help themselves in being a better parent. So that is the main thing. I love doing that,
that program. By doing that program I am helping many families and some of them speak my own
language so as an interpreter I was, I am translating everything in my own language too so that
they know what the sentence means in our language and what is the meaning of this in English too.
So they should know this... So then they feel confident, after a year, doing HIPPY, they feel confident
that they have learned something, right?
I am thankful to HIPPY that it gives us a really a good opportunity to help the families in the
community and I am proud to be a part of HIPPY. And HIPPY gave me the courage to do more
and more. And I would love to help my child, I would love to help the community and the children
around there and you know, give them all the, whatever I have to give them. To build this, yeah,
relationship.
Mai
Mai is a HIPPY Mother in HIPPY Ottawa. A graphic designer when
she lived in Vietnam, Mai immigrated to Canada five years ago.
She has a four-year-old daughter in HIPPY.
Mai enjoys the time she spends learning from her Home Visitor:
The thing I like is I have something to learn from Suzanne (My Home Visitor) and learn from the
program...Just because they’re friendly and I can talk with her and I can ask her anything if I
don’t understand and she helps me a lot to understand.
She is happy that HIPPY is free to join:
I think that it is a really good program for the people, the newcomers like me. I think the HIPPY
program is a good program to help for the families, like low-income. Because they miss some
of the programs for the baby (pre-school children) because they are low-income they do not
have too much. And to give to the families, to the children. And free like that, and the baby
(pre-school children) enjoys that. It’s very good for the family.
She wants to help others learn about HIPPY:
I just want to say, “Thank you” to the HIPPY program because I appreciate everything the
HIPPY program they do with me. They teach me and they teach my daughter. And I will share
everything with somebody if they need that, about the program.
Ani
Ani is a HIPPY Mother in Toronto. Born in Myanmar, Ani has also lived in Thailand and
Malaysia. She found the government in Myanmar very strict and life there difficult.
Following her parents’ divorce, she worked on a farm to help support her mother and
siblings. When Ani was fifteen, she moved to Thailand to work as a maid. From there she
moved to Malaysia where she worked and met her husband. She, her husband and firstborn arrived in Canada in 2008 as protected refugees. They now have three children.
Ani had a difficult time adjusting to Canada because of the steep language barrier and the Canadian
climate. She was surprised to learn that she could do HIPPY even if she had trouble speaking English:
This time [now] and when I came to Canada were really different because when I arrived in Canada
I didn’t speak English. I just, I knew “yes” or “no.” I could speak two words. And then no friends, no
relatives here. And Saint Johns, it was really cold. Before I didn’t know that cold. Before I didn’t know
about that. So I said, “Oh my gosh.” I really, really felt really bad...But the problem is, I didn’t speak, I
can’t speak nothing. I went shopping, sometimes I went to call my friends but I couldn’t call, I couldn’t
do nothing. I didn’t know how to buy the phone card. Everything. But after, now I am really happy.
I said, “It is interesting but I can’t speak English, how can I go there?” And she said, “No, don’t worry,
they have newcomer people and then they try the HIPPY program.” And then my friend helped me.
Ani describes how HIPPY helped her and her son learn to read in English:
Before when I didn’t take HIPPY I never buy books and I didn’t read books. When I take HIPPY we
read little short stories, we read always from HIPPY books...When I went shopping [he asked] “Mommy,
can you buy for me one book?” He didn’t ask for a toy or something and he didn’t ask for clothes.
He asked just for a book. So I read books always, I read books all the time.
Before the HIPPY program I didn’t read books. I could not read books. That’s why I am really proud
of the HIPPY program and I really like the HIPPY program.They bring the reading.
Ani and her son experienced multiple benefits from HIPPY:
It starts with my son now he speaks too. I gained knowledge. Me too. He can read everything. So
HIPPY program has really helped my son and me too.
They [the teachers] say: “Your son is really high up in school” and everything. My son in class, he was
in the first group. He did excellent.
That first year, when I finished, my English went up, I went a little bit up. And my son too. So that is
why I take every kid for HIPPY program.
Like the writing, reading and writing. Those two. When she came, the Home Visitor, every day she
teached me...I have experienced a lot with HIPPY. My kids and me changed. Speaking and like...more
experience. I had a lot of experiences because of HIPPY.
Yan
From China, Yan is a HIPPY Home Visitor and HIPPY Mother in Toronto. Yan has
two daughters, one born in China and one in Canada. She became a Home
Visitor after being a HIPPY Mother for one year, in 2008. Yan liked that, in
Canada, she would have the freedom to have multiple children.
When Yan emigrated from China to Canada she found the language barrier initially prevented her
from working:
Yes, yes, it was difficult for me. You know, the first thing was the language. Yes, in the beginning
it was really difficult for us, especially for me. Because of the language. You know, in China I
was working in an office, I can do everything easily there. But when I came here, because of the
language, I could not find a job, and I just stayed at home with my little daughter. It was a lot
of pressure.
HIPPY helped Yan gain confidence and gave her the opportunity to practice her English:
Because HIPPY helped me a lot. First I improved my English a lot. And after that I felt more
confident to talk with people and it was more easy to go out and to find information. But before
because of English I was afraid that people didn’t understand me, so I was not confident to talk
with people. I was afraid to ask questions, information.
I’m more confident.
Being a HIPPY Home Visitor allowed Yan to gain work experience in Canada:
HIPPY is great. I really want to say that HIPPY Canada makes a great program for the
newcomers. And the most amazing thing they provide is their self and they let us guide and
have the Canadian work experience that is more important to us.
Yan was surprised to learn that HIPPY provided so many materials for free:
I was thrilled. She came to my home. She brought the books, the curriculum, eraser, scissors,
pencils, everything! And everything was for free! She taught me how to do it with the curriculum
and I was so happy about that.
When I heard about the Home Visitor talking about the program I was so surprised how they
provide everything for free! Especially with the curriculum because my daughter never brought
curriculum home. So HIPPY brought everything, curriculum, books, everything children need. It’s so
amazing and I’m so happy with that. I’m so happy with that.
Doing HIPPY gives her valuable time to bond with her daughter:
As a HIPPY mom, my daughter and I can spend time together, read and do the curriculum. That
is my favourite time.
Yan was surprised with how the Chinese and Canadian education systems differed. HIPPY taught
Yan what she needed to know about education in Canada:
I didn’t know anything about the education system here that’s why I was eager to know how to
teach my little one.
Before I didn’t know how to teach my daughter, how to do the things because I didn’t have any
experience with the school system.
Yan has noticed how doing HIPPY has changed her daughter’s comfort level:
And after I do HIPPY, I do the curriculum, she is more comfortable with the things she learned i
n school.
Juan
Juan is a HIPPY Home Visitor and HIPPY Mother in Toronto. She was worried
living in China and came to Canada in search of a better life in 2005.
Both her daughter and her son have been in HIPPY.
Juan and her husband faced many struggles when they arrived in Canada. Finding employment
was not an easy task. They did not have a support network to help them with their children. They
did not have experience speaking English. Once Juan started HIPPY, she was encouraged to leave
her house and join the community:
Yes, it was difficult for us. We felt lonely here. No parents. We needed help because at that
time we had two children, two babies. My daughter was three and my son was one year old.
At that time we needed help. When my son was three years old our life got better and better.
It had changed.
When I had my son I stayed at home. My life changed. It was a big change. After I had low
mental health. A lot of moms have [postpartum depression] after the baby. Everything seemed
too difficult for me. And a lot of stress. And then I met HIPPY. HIPPY taught me how to go outside.
And then we learned from HIPPY. You know, HIPPY gave me lots of knowledge from Canada. My
husband and I, we learned together. After we teach my daughter. We didn’t know how to teach
my daughter [before] because we were in a new country and everything was new. Stefania (Our
Home Visitor) taught us how to learn, how to teach our children with playing. Before I was so shy.
I could not talk to people and I stayed at home and I went to school. When I met Stefania she
pushed me to go outside. She taught me.
Juan has seen first-hand the beneficial results of HIPPY with her daughter and her son:
We finished HIPPY. My daughter graduated. We thought that she had perfected the knowledge,
the social skills, the communication and everything for school. My daughter went to kindergarten
and she was really good for the reading level. My daughter’s level in the class is very high.
Yes, and also I teach the HIPPY curriculum to my son. I know the HIPPY curriculum is very good,
very helpful for my children. And the teacher told me that my son’s reading level is very high. I
know HIPPY is very awesome.
Juan describes how HIPPY changed her family:
With HIPPY we got a lot of information, knowledge, and skill to teach them. You know, the
handicrafts and the curriculum and role-play. And they learned from HIPPY. They learned the
stuff. They learned to study. They don’t know school but they know HIPPY. They learned from
HIPPY... They learned through role-play. That’s play, but they’re learning but they don’t know.
HIPPY changed my children.
It helped to teach the children better and better so our family got better and better. The HIPPY
changed us.
We learned from the HIPPY curriculum. At that time my English was not good. I learn, I read to my
children from the curriculum every day. Repeat again, repeat again. After I know what everything
means. So when I speak, afterwards it gets better and better.”
Juan is thankful for her time working and for the training she received as a HIPPY Home Visitor.
She enjoys being able to pass on her knowledge and experience to others:
I got a lot of training from HIPPY. In these three years I’ve had a lot of training from HIPPY. That
gives us credit for college.
I was very excited. I like this job. HIPPY helped me, I want to help others, the newcomers who
come here.
My favourite part is that I go to the family’s house. I teach them, I talk to them, I teach them
[through] role-play to use the curriculum. I am very, very happy because I help them. I know it
helped my daughter so I want to help them.
I want to help the moms for my goal. Everyone, the newcomers, everywhere... That’s my goal.
I want to change all the children from everywhere with HIPPY.
Suzan
Suzan is a HIPPY Home Visitor and HIPPY Mother in Toronto. Suzan lived in
Lebanon and Dubai before immigrating to Canada to find a place to call home
for her children. Suzan has four daughters.
Before HIPPY Suzan and her husband struggled with the new culture and language they found
in Canada:
It’s different. It’s a different culture, different language. You have to work really hard here to
get everything. Me and my husband, we are both educated outside [Canada] but both of us
couldn’t find jobs here because we didn’t have any experience. For me, to be honest with you, I
couldn’t even look for a job. I was struggling with the children, I felt kind of depressed. I couldn’t
go out even from my house...If I went out I felt like, “Oh, people are judging me now.” I was alone
here...I was really shocked. First with the language, then with the country itself.
And then the struggling. You know, how do you put food on the table at the end of the day?
And, to be honest with you, I was really depressed. I had situations like I couldn’t speak with
anyone. And I felt isolated.
HIPPY helped Suzan get back on track:
So I called my friend and asked if I could do HIPPY. I enrolled that year and it really changed
my life. It put me back on the right track. It brought me back to life because I was attending the
monthly meetings, I was going to the parties, I met new people. And the HIPPY site where I work
is so amazing. The site lead there, she is an amazing person. And the Home Visitors were so nice.
Everyone that goes there feels welcome. And I felt welcome.
You know, I told you my life was a mess. I had friends but deep inside I felt isolated. I felt like,
‘oh my god, I have three children, what am I doing here? I can’t work. I was afraid to answer
the phone... When I came here it was different. I could understand but I could not talk. So if the
phone would ring, I would not answer it. It was even difficult for me to leave a message on the
phone... Before HIPPY my life was a mess and HIPPY helped me to put it together. Also I was
afraid to do my driving test. I was driving for ten years before coming to Canada but I was
afraid to do my driving test. But now everything is settled. But HIPPY helped me to really think,
“why am I doing this to myself?” To feel that I am worth something...That’s really how I feel
about HIPPY.
Suzan watched her daughter gain confidence and patience with HIPPY:
One of my children, she was enrolled in HIPPY and she’s amazing. Even at school she’s doing
better. Well, I will not say she is doing better but she’s different. You know why? Because, with
HIPPY, when you do these activities with your child every day, they get into a routine. She’s
patient... Yeah, HIPPY, she loves it. It was a good experience for her and I can still see it, she
is in grade three and I can still see it. Yeah, because she is patient. She can sit, she can
concentrate. Yes, these activities taught her something.
And she can hold a book and she can sit and read. Now she cannot go to bed without
reading. She has a bookshelf in her bedroom because she loves reading. She got the habit
to do this at an early age because with HIPPY she was colouring, counting.
Yes, she is very confident... I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t have problems with her, like
for example, with her self-esteem or her confidence. She’s always like, “Yeah, Momma, I can do
this.” Even in her writing. She tries to write stories and she draws pictures because she wants t
o be a writer. And one day HIPPY will read her book, that’s what she’s thinking about.
HIPPY helped give Suzan the vocabulary to talk with her daughter’s teacher about her education:
Yeah, because you feel more confident – because they teach you. I remember for my first
parent-teacher meeting I had this paper from HIPPY. It had questions to ask about the strengths
of my child, then about the weaknesses. How we can all work together to work on these
weaknesses, blah blah blah. I had all these sheets, from age four of HIPPY. It helped me a lot
because sometimes you know what you want to say but you can’t put it in words.
So being with HIPPY these years has given me a better idea of how they teach... These
teachings too are different from what you are used to. They give you some teaching tools,
some teaching gifts, a way to practice reading with the children.
Being a Home Visitor allows Suzan the opportunity to empower HIPPY parents:
I am trying my best to empower my moms, the moms that I work with. Because I felt like I wasted
five years. Five years of my life here before knowing what to do, how to do it. I didn’t have the
courage, I don’t know why. But that is what I felt at that time. Before I started going out again,
meeting people, and yeah, I can do it. If they can do it, I can do it too.
I’m so happy to be a part of HIPPY. I’ve been part of HIPPY as a HIPPY mom and now as a
Home Visitor, I’ve been with HIPPY for around four years. I’m really glad with these four years. I’m
really happy with everything they do, what they did for me and what I really appreciate is how
they changed me. And I’m trying my best to do the same for the moms that I work with.
No, you can’t compromise your dreams. Dreams cannot be compromised. You have to go even
further, you have to shape your dreams...“No, you can do it.” Look at me. I have four children, I
work, I go to school. I do my diploma part-time and I still take care of my family and I’m happy
with what I’m doing and I’m doing things for the best. You cannot compromise things.
I can also empower other moms. Because most of the moms I work with are educated, they have
experience but most of them do not speak the language. They come here and they suffer. They
live alone. It’s not easy. To be honest with you, living in Canada is not easy for us, for newcomers.
For some of us, especially myself, it’s the cultural shock. You get shocked.
HIPPY really changed my life for the best...And what I feel inside, this empowering, I want all these
moms to feel the same because I know what they go through.
Suzan describes why she loves being a Home Visitor:
Where should I start? I love first that you become a part of these moms’ lives because they trust
you. Like, they trust me. They think I know everything and I don’t know why. It’s funny because they
think I know everything here. Sometimes I go back home and I do my homework on some of their
questions because I want to help them. It’s the bond. What I love about this is the bond that you
make with those moms.
The second thing is getting to know different cultures. Because here we all get influence from
each other, how we look, and even if we try to not have bias, still deep inside most of us, if we
are honest with ourselves, we have it. But this year, around here I have moms from six or seven
cultures, different backgrounds. It’s really interesting to get to know more about their traditions
and the things that they like, even the things that we see but we don’t know much about.
It’s really good. And having empowered these moms, having worked with these moms, it’s not
only about getting the children ready for school and to learn English, it’s more than that. It’s
to empower those moms and let them get out of their houses, get them more involved in the
community, for them to not be scared, it’s to be part of Canada, like to be a part of this society.
The work and the training that Suzan did as a Home Visitor will help her studies and
her future career:
But for me, I’ve been working for HIPPY for three years, this is great work experience for me and
it’s also related to what I’m studying, which will give me a boost for when I finish HIPPY and
I want to start looking for another job as an Early Child Educator ( ECE) or whatever, as a
teacher assistant at school.
And one more thing I would like to say about the training that we get, these trainings are
amazing. I remember the first semester we had a child development course and everything we
do I had already done with HIPPY... Also, the material itself, what we go through every week
with the moms. Like gross motor, fine motor, everything we work with, it’s what I studied. So even
this semester I am taking a course about Special Needs kids and this course about inclusion.
Last year I had a training in HIPPY about inclusion and the lady who gave us the training was
amazing...My first assignment, I already had it because I already did it. We already did it last
year. It’s really helping me in my studies.
I wanted to do ECE. And I applied for the job and I was accepted to be a HIPPY Home Visitor
and also I am doing my ECE diploma at Sunnydale. This is my journey with HIPPY. I have been
with them now for two years as a HIPPY Home Visitor.
Emily
Emily is a HIPPY Mother in HIPPY Toronto’s Downtown Young Mothers Project.
She has dual citizenship with Canada and Ecuador. She has a three-year-old
daughter in HIPPY and a one-year-old son.
Emily has seen the impact HIPPY has had on her daughter:
So I was curious after doing all this work. I wanted to see what was going to happen after this and
is she going to develop those skills? And I’ve seen a lot of change in my daughter. She loves reading
now. She enjoys writing. And my boy too. He is one and a half and he practices with us... He tries to
do it with us and it’s fun. And my daughter, she gets to get mommy’s attention for like half an hour a
day, that’s awesome. And like full attention so I love that one-on-one time with her.
I have seen good results after doing it. So yeah, it’s a positive project, a positive thing. So if it’s
good, why not keep going?
Emily’s daughter really enjoys doing HIPPY and Emily has noticed their relationship improve through
doing the program:
I read a lot with her. I like reading and we have a lot of books. But sometimes I didn’t really want to
read with her. I don’t know. Just before, maybe once a week. After I got into HIPPY time and into the
HIPPY program I really enjoy doing this with her. Because I think it was really new to me too. I like that.
And every time we start a new activity, I see on her face, she’s like, “Yeah! Let’s do it” It that made
me happy. Like she enjoyed it, well actually, she likes it and that is good. If she wasn’t interested, we
would just stop. But she enjoys every time we do HIPPY. Every time I say, “Okay, let’s do HIPPY time,”
she jumps up with joy. So I like that because that builds a really good relationship between us. And
she loves me and I love her a lot, but, you know, sometimes kids can be really hard to raise but
having this help has been good.
Emily describes why she started doing HIPPY with her daughter:
Well, I used to be a stay-at-home mom, but now I’m working. I really didn’t have a schedule with
my kids. I have a one-and-a-half-year-old and a three–and-a-half-year-old. And by that time the
youngest was almost one. And I didn’t really have ideas of what to do with my oldest daughter... But
for education, like for school, I had no clue what to do. We painted and we did some crafts but I
didn’t have any ideas really. So I needed someone to tell me, “Oh, you could do this... Or here is an
idea, or you could do physical exercise with your kid and she can learn how to write, or distinguish
from pictures.” Yeah I needed something like that, someone to tell me that and give me some ideas to
do at home because I lived at home all day. So that’s when I decided to take her into this program.
I didn’t know what else to do. Especially for them because I want them to have more than I had
and to do more than I was able to.
I’m a young mom. I’m 25, and I don’t have my mom here...And I think I need her to help raise my
kids sometimes because she has a lot of good ideas. So having HIPPY time is like having help
here in my home so that’s good.
Emily describes how she felt during her first home visit:
I felt important. I felt like I had a responsibility to do with my kids. Like I’m raising them but
sometimes the day goes and I don’t do a lot... But then [Home Visitor] Chantel explained to me
why HIPPY is important or why doing stuff with your kids is important for the development, the
brain development, the skills and all that stuff.
Emily has plans to continue her education:
And my plan is, when my son goes to school, which is two years later, I’m going back to school
and I’m going to see how it works because I’m going to start what it was I started before and
finish school. And I know it’s going to be a hard time because kids in school, husband working,
me in school... It’s going to be hard but it’s going to be worth it in the end having a degree
or a good job to support them. It’s good because you have to sacrifice sometimes and the
blessings will come later.
Joahna
From Peru, Joahna is a HIPPY Home Visitor and Mother at HIPPY Vancouver.
Joahna and her husband lived in England for a year before immigrating
to Canada. They have a son who is in HIPPY.
Joahna describes barriers she experienced when she arrived in Canada:
SI faced barriers. One: isolation. Then the second one, emotionally I was missing a lot my family.
Because this was the first time we were immigrating to a country. Really this country is going to be
home now... We went back to Peru to say goodbye to our family. Yes, it was really emotional. It was
at the same time hard. First was language, second was isolation, third was the feeling that you
miss your family and you are thinking, okay, this is going to be different now. Okay, a different
experience, no?
Because when we came here we didn’t know anybody, we had no relatives here, no people that
we had met before. So honestly it was a shock for us.
The most difficult part is to start. Because you don’t know what to do really. What is first? What is
second? You don’t have a plan, nothing.
Joahna was desperate for a program to help her to learn how to teach her son and improve his
behaviour. She needed help, and HIPPY was just what she was looking for:
I was having parenting issues. I took several parenting programs...Then I met my teacher and she
said, “Joahna I have to tell you something. I have observed your son and you are going to have to
work really closely with him. You have to stay honest all the time with him. Because in case your son
bites someone or pulls their hair so you stop, you intervene. You stop the situation and you have to
remove your son or take him home or take him to the park or out of the room...But you have to stay
with him because your son is very smart, very active, but he needs support.” I said, “I know, I know,
but I don’t know how to do it.” Then I talked with other teachers and she helped me with my son a
lot. Then one day I thought that this is not enough, I need something to help me have a routine.
I was really desperate...He was good for three weeks and then he started doing the same things,
especially he was biting not only me but the other kids. I had many bad experiences. That was a
sign for me, I had enough. I had to find something.
I said, “This is my problem. I love my son but sometimes I think that I am not a good mommy because
sometimes I don’t think I understand my son.” But she stopped me and she said, “No Joahna, we
here at HIPPY believe that you as a mother, as a parent, are the first model. The first educator
at home.”...Then I said, “This is the program I am looking for. I think that it is going to work for me.”
Because first of all, I would like to meet other mothers.
Joahna describes the difference HIPPY has had on her son:
But you know HIPPY also gave me a routine. Yes, a really good one. That I work with my son for
fifteen minutes every day. To make sure he is developing his skills, he is doing the homework...And
also I see how my son was improving. I see the progress, the difference.
Before when you asked him he couldn’t really sit down and be quiet to listen to me.
I see the reading time, for example, following the curriculum, cutting, pasting, reading at your
own pace, colouring...It was really something. It was building a relationship between me and my
son. So it was a very huge change. Then I started knowing more my son. And also my son was
building a relationship with the Home Visitor.
My son always asks me, “Mommy, please let’s do HIPPY activities.” He always asks me. Always.
“Can we do HIPPY today? Can we do HIPPY later?” Yes, he likes all the books and I really like it.
Joahna learned so much from HIPPY:
HIPPY gave me, as a HIPPY mother, it gave me many things. One, is the opportunity to meet my
Home Visitor but meet other mommies as well. And to learn many things that I didn’t know before.
And we had guest speakers also... And my Home Visitor encouraged me to participate more.
Then I was feeling stronger and stronger. I wasn’t afraid to talk to other people, to ask for
help. And stronger because [before] I was feeling…small because all the things that I didn’t
understand as a parent, it was too much for me...Why is my son doing this when other kids are
doing that? But when you have HIPPY training for knowledge, you understand that, all these
different personalities.
Nobody told me the importance of being with your child, sitting together, reading a book. In my
country you don’t do that. It sounds weird here, but it is true. In my country, you don’t play with
your children...I am still learning that.
Joahna was very happy to become a Home Visitor:
But I was so grateful to be in HIPPY so that was one way I could say thank you is to give to
my community something back. I knew right away that if I was a Home Visitor I would have the
opportunity to meet newcomers and for sure I would understand their situation, their experiences
here in Canada. Why? Because I am an immigrant, that’s why. So that really motivated me to
find the kind of job where I would meet new immigrants, meet new families. Especially if they have
young children, because I was working with young children before.
And then I did it, and then they called me and then they offered me the position... I was so
happy I was almost crying...I was jumping up, really...It was very good. I was very, very happy
and I was looking forward to meeting the other mothers.
When I did the interview they said that they offer training. And you know what I said? “Excellent!”
And she looked at me and said, “Why?” “Because I am hungry to learn things. Especially
anything to do with families, children, education.” And you know why? Because one day I would
like to be a teacher.
It’s very nice, HIPPY, it’s very rewarding.
Being a HIPPY Home Visitor gave Joahna more confidence, maturity and independence:
She [the HIPPY representative] said, “You know Joahna, you have changed a lot. Not only
English, you are more mature now, you are more independent now, you are more confident when
it is time to make decisions. You give us good ideas. Joahna, you take this experience seriously
and it is going to help you forever. It’s going to be good for your future.”
I feel like I am capable to do many things. Now I am really positive about my future. I am
not scared anymore. I feel like anything is possible. If your goal is to go to Douglas College,
why not? If you fail the first time, doesn’t mean you will fail all the time, no, there are other
opportunities. So it’s a question of time but, once again, it’s inside your mind. It’s the emotional
part. And the spirit training is not only about learning but it is also about the emotional part.
Yes, because they want you to succeed. To have and to do something in your life that you will
enjoy, that you will like.
Through this experience you discover that you can do other things. You discover that you are
capable to grow in a different way...Of course all the training, they help you to find your way.
This is the way I see it. I mean, I did the training to support my family and to see in what different
ways I can support myself. If I want to go to school, what kind of career do I want to pursue?
They help us, for example, to plan our career. To make our path to help us pursue our career.
Connecting with a child with autism while being a Home Visitor inspired Joahna to pursue a career
in Behaviour Intervention:
And he looked at me and he gave me a big, big smile. He made my day, really, really, honestly.
So that’s why I decided, yes, indeed, I’m going to go to school, yes. I made the decision. I
decided to go to Douglas College. I already applied two months ago to do the Behaviour
Intervention. When you graduate you work as a behaviour intervention practitioner on one-toone sessions. And I like these kind of kids. I never thought I could do that kind of field. I never
thought I can actually go to college.
Being a part of HIPPY allowed Joahna to join a caring community:
You are important to Canada. And you know why? Because Canada needs you. That’s why
you are here.” And that was very good. And I’m going to tell you something, if I’m in HIPPY it’s
because we need each other. That’s why I call this one my family. My family. HIPPY family. I have
my family as well. Everyone has a little piece, no? We all work together as a group to make this
project, to make this program work. We are a community, no? Because at the end of the day, it’s
all for that. Yeah, it’s amazing really.
Naomi
Naomi is a HIPPY Mother in Nanaimo. She originally came from Japan
to Canada for a year while studying and skiing in Whistler. She met her
husband in Canada and decided to start a family and immigrate. Her
daughter is four years old and she has a two-year-old son.
Naomi saw a lot of change in her daughter while doing HIPPY:
Yes, yes, totally, TOTALLY changed actually. Like, she’s getting confident. Well, personally she is
quite shy and she was always trying to do things hiding behind me and then she is not really
an independent person. But she is getting confident... She didn’t speak much in front of people,
she probably could use more English properly and communicated it more and I think she’s got
confident more and started to be more independent from me.
Once she was interested in learning the alphabet she tried to use it...in the daycare and in the
preschool. She tried to ask the teacher how to write down her name and the alphabet, the
order. And she could actually write it down herself without me telling her.
“If I didn’t do HIPPY I’m not sure she could write down her name!
Naomi describes what she likes best about HIPPY:
Well, a lot of things are the best actually. Using a lot of different aspects, even sorting and
reading comprehension, and numbers, and the alphabet, the phonics and sequencing. So this
was fun. It’s not just playing in play groups. There’s play but there’s still educational things in it s
o that’s great.
HIPPY helped Naomi learn about education in Canada:
I grew up in Japan, I don’t do the phonics, I didn’t know how important phonics was for English
speakers. And of course I didn’t know about what is the Canadian education expectation. Like
what that’s supposed to be.
It was quite the help actually. I didn’t really know the Canadian education system done by the
kindergartens or how they teach in kindergarten. I have no idea. And I ask my husband but he
doesn’t know, you know that’s like two, three decades ago.
We, both parents, are really easy-going but I learned that maybe I should not be like this, I
should be more involved in her education.
Meeting other HIPPY parents has helped Naomi to learn from other newcomer parents’ experiences:
Yeah, that’s great because we had a kind of thing, sometimes trouble, where the student had to
draw pictures and some of the students don’t like that, but some people liked it. But over time,
the same problems kept coming up: “So what are we going to do? What are you going to do?
What should we say? Should we let them do that?” So sharing the information is great.
HIPPY introduced Naomi to other services for newcomers:
But when I first came to Canada I really didn’t know what was going on, that’s why it took so
long. I’ve been here for twelve years and I’m starting to use the services right now.
Naomi explains how she has changed while being a HIPPY Mother:
It’s hard to describe myself. I’ve tried to be more patient. I know I am teaching a four-year-old,
I’m not teaching an adult, so I have to be patient but sometimes usually the mother is busy all
the time. But I’ve learned myself, I’ve tried to calm down and be more patient. And definitely
through this program I have noticed her strengths and what she needs to be improved, or
good or bad things.
Sidonia
Sidonia is a HIPPY Home Visitor in Brooks. Sidonia went as a refugee
from Sudan to Egypt and then immigrated to Canada with her husband. Sidonia
has a son and recently went on maternity leave to have her second child.
Sidonia explains how preparing your children for school is important in Canada:
As our background, as an immigrant, we usually know that the child goes to school and that’s
when they start to learn ABC or everything. We don’t have to do anything. But in North America
the child has to be prepared at home. They don’t know that as an immigrant. So with HIPPY
I have learned a lot. We would be able to reach out to those isolated people to work with
their kids. So by the time they are ready for school they are prepared for the numbers, they are
prepared for their name, how to spell their name, prepared to know the colours and shapes.
That’s one thing that I love about it and makes me participate and want to do it.
There is a tremendous change in the mothers. Because mothers are able to work with their child.
Before they had nothing to do with the schooling thing with the child. But now they know. So we
tell the mothers, or parents, you have to prepare their child for school. Here, you prepare your
kid. By the time the child goes to school they will know how to use the pencil, he will know how
to cut with scissors, he knows the alphabet, he knows the numbers. So they were surprised and I
told them, “You work with your child and your child will be successful in school.” And I gave them
examples of immigrants that I make it work with their kids. So they were surprised to see that.
The first time I learned the curriculum I wished I knew that before so I could have done that with
my son. So I saw a lot of benefit of the curriculum of HIPPY and that made me really interested
and then I thought we could really benefit our communities with it.
I am so grateful to whoever invented HIPPY. It’s a great thing especially for us as immigrants. I
really appreciate it. We didn’t know how to help our kid. But now it’s giving us, it’s giving the
immigrants the ideas what to do, to help their kids. So their kids before, they went to school and
we were surprised. They were not prepared. Their self-esteem was really... they feel terrible about
themselves and they think they don’t know, they think they are stupid. But they are not. They are
smart. The only thing they were missing: they were not prepared by the parents. But now, I’m
sure this year our HIPPY kids, they will go and they will have self-esteem because they won’t feel
behind or left behind. So HIPPY is a good thing for families.
Sidonia describes what it feels like to be a Home Visitor:
It makes me feel success in what I am doing, what I love. It helped me. I can’t believe that every
time I walk in the area, the child on the balcony will call me, “Hi Teacher!” And sometimes I will
hear my name and I will see one of my kids running and saying they are going to come with
me to my house. Even I didn’t know the community we were working with. Mostly we are working
with Somalian communities. But it gives me that, knowing those people and opening their hearts
and their home to us. And we’ve become like a family, and we’ve become connected. So when
I finished the program with some families they were hugging me, they were sad. So it built more
connection in the community that we didn’t know before.
Lojitha and Deepa
Lojitha is the husband of a HIPPY Mother, Deepa, in Toronto. His wife has been
doing the HIPPY program with their son. Lojitha and his wife decided to leave
Sri Lanka because of the job market, expenses and education.
Lojitha and Deepa’s son has been progressing with HIPPY:
My wife, she was a teacher in Sri Lanka so she is always really concerned with his studies. She
worried a lot about him before. With the HIPPY, day by day she gets progress. Maybe a month
before that I went to his class teacher and asked about him. And she said he progresses very
well. He is doing good now. So that is good for us.
So he spoke a little bit late in Sri Lanka also because he was premature. So we were a little bit
afraid for him, for his speech, and he didn’t speak much. But with the HIPPY program he learned
some words and he learned how to speak.
Lojitha describes how Deepa has been benefiting from HIPPY:
With the HIPPY program she used to do everything in English with him so now she also, me too,
we love the program. Yeah, she can write. She is more comfortable, she’s good. She can express
[herself].
But the last time they had a HIPPY moms’ get-together or something. She was really happy about
that, she was able to socialize. To share experiences with other people.
Before when she came to Canada she only knew a little bit and she always complained to me
about how she didn’t have many friends, she was alone. But after that, when she started this
program, the Home Visitor is now a good friend of my wife. My wife says that she is really good.
She likes to meet her, to share the experiences with her also. She also has a little one like our
little one. So she always shares experiences with my wife. I think it’s good for my wife because
now she has a friend too and it gives her something to do with our little one. That is good too,
for her to have something to do with our little one.
Lojitha explains what he likes about HIPPY:
Yeah, actually we really appreciate the HIPPY program because it is really good for the people
like us, the newcomers, who don’t know much about this country...We don’t know much contacts
and much facilities. What can we do to progress our little one’s life. So we are really lucky to
have HIPPY...They are pretty good for the newcomers and for the children who don’t get much
benefits and who are newcomers. I appreciate the contribution of all the staff of HIPPY.
Because another thing is I didn’t really know which kind of books, which kind of stories to teach
the little one. You know, the formula that we should teach. But with HIPPY they taught everything.
And also they taught like which kind of book to take. They gave some storybooks also. So it
helped lots for him and a lot for our lives in Canada for us.
Actually we know now how he thinks. These activities and HIPPY songs. Now when I was in my
room I heard that he is using the songs. He is using the songs everywhere. Yeah, so he also loves
the program because it is not boring for him I think because it is really cognisant about the
children’s mind, how to catch the mind of the little one.
Inti
Inti is a HIPPY Mother with HIPPY Vancouver. Making the decision to stay in Canada
was not easy for her because her family remained in Mexico. Inti decided that living in
Canada would be a great opportunity for her son because of the education and human
rights he would receive. Inti and her husband have been doing HIPPY with their son.
Inti describes how she enjoys doing HIPPY with her husband and son together.
Also, I think of myself and of when I was a child I did those kinds of things with myself. I can’t
imagine how special it would have been if I had done that with my mother and father. So I can
see that with my son when he is with us, with my husband and I. So that makes this program really
special for us. It’s a program where I can see him developing his skills. Like he can throw now, he
is excited to learn his letters, it’s not pressure on him, he just wants to do it, he’s excited about
doing it...We don’t have the money to pay for childcare. I think that this is an excellent program
to help him develop his skills and that we can do together.
So we started to do the HIPPY together, with the three of us (My son, my husband and I). We
started to have a better relationship, we have a bond, a really good bond. When we do
HIPPY we are together, we can have our calm time reading.
I love the program. That’s what I can say. I love the program and what it has brought to my
family. I love what we did through the program.
HIPPY helped to strengthen the bond between Inti and her son:
It helped me. It helped me to see the bond between the relationship of my son and I. And I
can see him when we sit down and he is so happy he is with us. And I feel happy to do the
activities with him. I feel really happy. I didn’t feel like that at the beginning but after time
I started to feel that the bonds between him and I were getting better and better.
Inti describes how she became comfortable with her Home Visitor:
The first time I received the Home Visitor of HIPPY I really was uncomfortable. It was really
uncomfortable for me because there was going to be someone inside your house, in your privacy.
Where you see all the things just for you and your family. I was really, really, really worried at that
time because I didn’t know the Home Visitor...The moment I saw her I thought: what the hell am I
doing? But I really think it was a great program to help my self-esteem. Then I started to try to be
more open, to have a Home Visitor...After two, three months, the Home Visitor started to talk about
other things. I started to ask her about other things. We started to have a really close relationship.
She [my Home Visitor] is so wonderful, she is so helpful. When she comes to my home I just feel
happy to have her...We chat about our kids, we go through the program, she helps us with some
advice from her own experience with her child. So it’s good. I don’t have a problem anymore
having someone in my home.
Tatiana
Tatiana is a HIPPY Home Visitor and HIPPY Mother at HIPPY Vancouver. Tatiana met her
husband, who is a Canadian citizen, in Venezuela and she decided to immigrate to
Canada after he proposed. She was looking for a better life to start her family away
from the tragedy, violence and delinquency in Venezuela.
Tatiana felt a lot of fear when she first arrived in Canada due to the language barrier:
But then I was here doing nothing, you know, just afraid of everything because when I first came here
I was afraid to talk to people because I didn’t know English. Now I know a lot because of HIPPY
but it was a very big issue when I first came because of the language. I couldn’t communicate, I
was afraid of people. I was walking down the street and I was looking behind me, like “is somebody
following me?” – that kind of fear...And at least at the beginning it was so hard talking with people.
I couldn’t even go out from my place because what could I do? I didn’t speak English, I was afraid
of people.”
Tatiana describes what her son has been learning with HIPPY:
But yes, he (my son) is improving, he is improving his language, he is improving his English and I’m
also noticing a difference between me and him.”
He (my son) would say, “Give me more. Give me more of the books.” The first book, “Where is Spot?”
he loved it. He would read and read and read...Even when we would go outside, he would say,
“Look, Mommy, the water is running” or “The water is dripping.” Even something like the lines. Vertical
and horizontal, he would say, “This is a vertical line, this is a horizontal line”...This is in the street. I am
teaching him that. It’s not like he is learning that from somebody [else]. He is at home. With HIPPY he
is learning a lot. He will say, “Look, Mommy, this is up, down, this is dripping, this is horizontal...” And he
loves it. He loves HIPPY. As a Home Visitor now, I think, “Oh my God, I have too much work, I have to
go home and teach him,” and I don’t have the energy. And then he will bring me the book and say,
“Mommy, let’s do HIPPY.” He asks for HIPPY.
Tatiana has been surprised by how much her son can answer during HIPPY reading:
My son... I question him about what happened in the book and I’m surprised about his answers.
Sometimes you don’t think they can do it. But it’s not, they can do more. They can do more than we
think. They can.
HIPPY is creating a closer bond between Tatiana and her son:
Because of HIPPY we had to spend at least fifteen minutes a time every day and doing that... helped
me feel more closer to my son. I just love teaching him. Teaching and learning at the same time.
Because with him, I’m learning too. Because I can be teaching new stuff to him but also new stuff for
me too. But that moment is wonderful. That moment is a good time doing that because this moment
is my time with him. This is a special time with him. And he knows that, he knows this is my time with my
mother. This is a special time...Our special time. This is a bond. I’m more closer to him. He is very sweet.
He’s a very sweet guy. He is more independent. I love to spend that time with him. And he loves it.
He is learning... This is a special moment, it is crucial for me to spend that time with him.
Tatiana describes learning more about Canadian Aboriginal cultures through HIPPY:
One of them [books], about Aboriginals, I didn’t know anything about Aboriginals. And
sometimes I assumed so many bad things about them but after that [training] I feel very sad
about their history. Now I know and I can feel compassion about that history. I feel like I have to
do something. Where I lived, there are Aboriginal people there and they were the first people
there in my country. But I didn’t know that before. I didn’t know the Aboriginal history. I was very
sad, I was in shock. How could they do that bad stuff? And now I feel we need to advocate for
those people. Because I think the residential schools were so tough. That made me feel so bad
but now I have another thing to teach about them.
Tatiana gained confidence and improved her English while being a HIPPY Mother and Home Visitor.
She explains her journey and HIPPY’s impact on her life:
You know, before I came here I could not speak any English. I was afraid to speak in public, I
was even afraid to talk to people. I was thinking I was a failure.
But now I know I can do it, I can be successful and I get so much happiness when I assist
families. My motivation is the students. It makes me feel so happy. You know that it works when
they can tell you, “Thank you for coming, thank you for visiting me. You’ve given me another
perspective to teach my child.” Sometimes they think that okay, if you have a Home Visitor they
give you the curriculum and that’s it. No. It’s more than that. It’s listening to them. It’s helping
them...It’s a good program. They’re so happy, they tell me all the time, “Oh, I’m so happy that you
are here. That I can talk and learn.” With HIPPY as a mother, as a Home Visitor, I was learning a
lot. I was teaching my child but I was learning this as well.
You know, I feel confident now. I can even fight for my rights. Before I couldn’t do that because
of my lack of English. But now I feel confident. Now I feel like I can do anything. I can go back
to school. That is my goal. To go back to school and then work in the social field. I love working
with families, I love working with people, I love to support them. And now, what I’m doing, I love it.
I love HIPPY. I love HIPPY. HIPPY gave me back my confidence. Now I know I can achieve
anything I want in Canada.
So I feel more connected, I’m looking for the resources in the community, what they need, what
they have. And yes, because of HIPPY, because of that, I am more connected to the community,
to programs. Because you know I have to help the families. HIPPY was my first job when I came
to Canada. I have to say, “Thank you HIPPY. Thank you.” Working with this program has given me
the courage, the confidence, the self-esteem, the knowledge and the confirmation that I can be
successful here. Not only helping other families but they [HIPPY] give me wonderful educational
tools for my kids and also for all the kids. And I see development in my self-esteem, I see the
development with a lot of skills. But with HIPPY I love working with others, I learn how to use the
computer, how to...everything. And before I was afraid, that’s the thing. I was afraid, I was alone.
But I know I can do it. I am confident now. That’s the thing, I know I am confident. Even...my work.
I’m confident because I know the program, my English skills are better and also I can fight for my
rights. I’m just confident, I can say that.
Thanks HIPPY for coming into my life. Yes, because me too, I learn a lot. I learnt that I can do
whatever I can here. Thank you for the opportunity. I bring a lot of people to the program
because I want the people to benefit from the program. To me the benefit from the program
is that I know it’s good. This is special for me. These are the new things that I have learned
here. Before as a home mother and now as a HIPPY Home Visitor, has given me everything: my
confidence, my hope, gives me skills that I know I can use for another job. Not only for another
job but I can do anything. I can do anything now because of HIPPY. Because it gave me the
confidence, the experience...I changed my life in Canada.
Before HIPPY I was nothing. HIPPY gave me the courage, the confidence, my self-esteem, the
knowledge and now I know so many things that I did not know before. I learned about my
country, about what happens in my community, what is going on, the events, and for all the
educational tools, I have to say thank you. Before I was saying, “Oh my god, I’m so busy,” but in
the end it’s a great benefit. Before I didn’t have that. Now I feel very good, now I feel great. I
feel I can, you know, doing spirit training... How can I say? Looking for your goals? I’m going to
achieve my goals doing some English social things. I think I have to achieve that and I can do
it, yes. Now I can speak better and it’s just because of HIPPY, I didn’t go to school, no. So it’s all
HIPPY. Yes, oh my god, I can communicate, that’s great.
As a mother, as a Home Visitor, I am learning English, I’m learning something I didn’t know... Now
I know, this is gross motor control, this is fine motor skills, but before I didn’t know that. I just tried
but I didn’t know which skills to develop.
Tatiana explains how HIPPY has pushed her to move forward:
Standing up in front of people made me crazy, it made me embarrassed but now I’m getting
better because of the HIPPY training. And also it’s a skill that I need, not just because of HIPPY,
no it’s a skill you need and now I can move forward, I can do another thing, I can do whatever
I want.
So I need something. I need a certificate, to work more on my English and I plan to go back
to school to get my grade twelve and then do something in this social field. But first I just need
to go back to secondary school to get my grade twelve to achieve my end goal to work in a
program in social work.
Oh, but before I was a mess. Even now I make a lot of mistakes but people can still understand,
that’s not the point. The point is I have to learn more. I have to go back to school. It’s because
of that. HIPPY is responsible. I need to be better and to do something for myself.
Ho
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Thank you
I offer my sincerest thanks to
the wonderful Home Visitors,
mothers and grandmothers
who took the time to share
their stories with me. Your
incredible stories of courage,
perseverance and love
deserve to be shared with the
whole world.
Charlotte Bird
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Finding Home with HIPPY

Transcription

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