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06 June 2006
Underprivileged Moroccan Students Benefit from English Training
Students meet State's Hughes during her tour to listen and learn
Washington -- A Moroccan young man from a poor neighborhood in Casablanca has told U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes that he has found a job thanks to a U.S.-sponsored English program that enabled him to travel to the United States for a summer.
"Because of English, because of the Access program, I went to the U.S., I participated in an American movie, and now I've got a job, which is very, very important to me," Abdelfatah Al-Idrissi said to Hughes in Casablanca June 4. "We are living in poor neighborhoods. Well, because of English these days, we've got, I've got, a job and I don't think without this opportunity I would have a job now." Al-Idrissi works in a call center.
The Access program involves providing microscholarships to underserved youths in predominantly Muslim countries around the world. The program offers an American-style classroom experience, using U.S. textbooks and materials.
The under secretary is traveling to Morocco, Belgium and the Czech Republic on an eight-day trip to listen and learn. Al-Idrissi told her that as a result of learning English and traveling to the United States, his opinion of Americans changed.
"Basically before, we hated Americans, because we didn't know them. We just know them through the media, but now we know them better. We know that American people are nice people," he said.
Another student participating in the meeting with Hughes was Asma'a Douik, who also is a participant in the Access program.
"The Access program gives us a lot of benefits," she said. "The Access program gives me the chance to go to the USA this summer for a month."
A blind student, who was not identified, thanked the United States for making the Access program available: "Thank you. We are needy people also, because we are blind and we benefit from the Access program, thanks to the American people, thanks to you, thanks to all people who are responsible for this Access program."
Hughes said one of her first decisions after she assumed the post of under secretary was devote more resources to English language training in the Middle East.
"I believe when we help young people like you learn English, we are giving you a skill that you want, and that helps you take advantage of it to have an opportunity to have a better life," she said.
Hughes also said that more Americans need to learn Arabic.
"We've got a big program where we're bringing teachers, actually, from the Arab world this summer over to America to do some teaching in our different universities, for Arabic, and we're also sending some of our young people here and to other countries to be in the setting and to learn to speak Arabic because it's a critical language for the future and it's important for my country that we be able to speak your language and communicate with you,” she said.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
