BENTONVILLE -- Ahmad Aziz sketched a simple floor plan of his home. His literacy tutor told him to label each room.
"This is the kitchen," Aziz said, then began to say the letters as he wrote them. "K-i-c-h..."
At A Glance (w/logo)
Literacy Council
Literacy Council of Benton County is a nonprofit agency that increases adult English literacy by developing volunteer tutors to teach students. It was established in Bentonville in 1972. Its budget for 2014 was $167,000. About 65 to 70 percent of it is raised by the organization, said Vicki Ronald, executive director. It is also supported by United Way and federal and state grants in addition to individual and corporate donations. The operational budget covers rent, heat, insurance, books and salaries for four staff members. Contributions to the organization are tax deductible. Donations can be made at 205 N.W. A St. in Bentonville or online at www.goliteracy.org.
Source: Staff Report
"No," Chuck Kovach, his tutor, said softly to indicate Aziz missed something.
"K-i," Aziz began again. "T-c-h-e-n."
"That's right," Kovach said. "You got it."
The two moved around the diagram to each room -- the living room, bathroom, each bedroom -- then moved outside to the sidewalk, driveway and garage.
Aziz has been going to the Literacy Council of Benton County three times a week for five weeks. He moved from Afghanistan to Bentonville with his wife and three children in August.
Aziz was a driver for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, for six years. He learned to speak English, but cannot read or write it.
About two years ago, Aziz decided to apply for a special immigration visa in order to bring his family to the U.S., he said. An embassy worker from Bella Vista suggested he moved to Northwest Arkansas.
Life is dangerous in Afghanistan, Aziz said. A bomb could explode in front of, or beside, a person as they walked down the street, he said. It would end in one of two ways.
"One way you were going to the hospital, and the other way you die," Aziz said with a thick accent. "And you don't know."
Schools lack books and don't have heating or air conditioning. Most places only had power for six hours a day, Aziz said.
His children are 7 months, 3 and 5. His 5-year-old is in kindergarten. His family is safe, and their future will be better here than in Afghanistan, Aziz said.
"I am happy now here because of my children," he said. "When I go to work, I'm relaxed."
Aziz's caseworker from Catholic Charities of Arkansas Immigration Services connected him with the literacy council so he could pass the state's driving test. Aziz failed three times before seeking help.
It's been five intense weeks, Kovach said.
Aziz went over practice tests each session.
"He went over them day after day because of the vocabulary," Kovach said. "He knows how to drive. He just has to deal with the vocabulary. So that's all we've done so far."
Aziz recently passed the written test. He now has his permit and will take the driving test Jan. 10.
"He's a good student," Kovach said. "He worked hard to pass that test. It's the incentive. All students have an incentive. That might be citizenship. It might be a job."
Aziz is one of Kovach's two students. Kovach has been tutoring for about nine years.
"It's one of the most satisfying things you can do," he said.
The council serves 120 to 150 students a year, said Vicki Ronald, executive director.
English isn't the native language of 90 percent of the council's students, according to the organization's literature. Their educational backgrounds range from no schooling to having degrees from universities in their native countries.
Tutors and students have the option of meeting at the council office at 205 N.W. A St. in Bentonville or at the Rogers, Bentonville or Bella Vista libraries.
The council is affiliated with ProLiteracy America. All students are assessed when they enroll and again after 60 hours of tutoring using standardized tests, according to informational literature. The state's Labor Department tracks results.
Northwest Arkansas students come from many countries including India, Thailand, Korea and Central American countries, Kovach said.
"They come for different reasons," he said. "(Aziz) speaks better than any student I've had. Other students cannot speak English at all. They study to be functional in this society. They don't want to have to hide when English is spoken."
It's a bonus for them to be able to read, write and have a good vocabulary, Kovach said.
Tutoring is more than just helping students understand English. It's an opportunity to help students navigate a new culture, Kovach said. Students may spend too much money going to the emergency room when all they need is a doctor, but they don't know how to find a doctor. The council's tutors can point them in the right direction.
The biggest obstacle students face is providing for their families and living the schedules they do, Kovach said. Many students work late-night or overnight shifts.
Aziz is a perfect example, he said. Aziz recently got a job as a dishwasher at 21c Museum Hotel. It's within walking distance of his home. He works 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. five days a week. He gets about five hours of sleep before he wakes up to get his daughter off to school. His literacy council lesson starts at 10:30 a.m.
"These folks have to work," Kovach said. "They have to provide for their families. For a tutor, it's frustrating if your student is tired or has to work overtime, but you have to realize, family comes first."
Aziz is working on his vocabulary. Once he and Kovach were done going over his house drawing, Aziz opened up a book that included images of every-day items labeled in English and Farsi, one of the languages spoken in Afghanistan.
They decided to review money -- coins and paper bills. Aziz struggled finding the right word for the copper-colored coin with Abraham Lincoln's profile on it. He called it a nickel, and Kovach corrected him, saying it's a penny.
Kovach related the superstition that, sometimes, people won't pick a penny up if it's face down because they believe it's bad luck.
Aziz recognized the quarter.
"I would pick that up," Kovach said.
"I would, too, sir," Aziz said, and they both chuckled. "I hope I find one on the way."
NW News on 01/01/2015