Student Spotlight: Abdifatah

Meet our student Abdifatah from Somalia, and learn about how he reached his goal to communicate in English with confidence.

Abdifatah is a friendly and energetic man who has traveled to and lived in many countries in Africa before establishing a permanent home in Buffalo. He and his wife have 5 children and all have become integrated citizens of the U.S. Although his early education in Somalia included English language learning, his use of the language was “totally different” from what he experienced when he arrived in America. Abdifatah was motivated to learn how to communicate comfortably in his new country and found his way to Literacy Buffalo Niagara to support his efforts.

Abdifatah’s background includes leaving his native Somalia as a young man due to “the chaos and lack of order” he observed in the society. As an intelligent and ambitious person, he was determined to settle somewhere where he could enjoy “free movement and opportunities for a good life.” He continued to study and work as he made his way from Somalia to Kenya and Uganda. As an asylum seeker, he had the opportunity to come to the U.S. in 2015 along with his wife and two young sons.

When he first arrived here, understanding and speaking English clearly was difficult, despite previous study of the language. With a growing family, balancing work and further education was challenging. He wanted – and felt he needed – to improve his pronunciation and ability to understand English conversation. Several people who had also come from Africa suggested watching English language movies, but Abdifatah found these to be of limited benefit. Someone at the Information Desk of the Central Library suggested he contacted Literacy Buffalo Niagara and a new chapter began.

“Abdifatah credits the one-to-one work with his Literacy tutor as a major change in his ability to understand and converse with confidence in his new country.”

He believes the program has helped him “a LOT” and is very important for anyone hoping to become a full participant in the U.S.

Now pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration, Abdifatah hopes to assist African people coming to the U.S. to coordinate necessary services and support their adjustment to a new country and culture. He sees himself as directing a not-for-profit organization, much as he received that kind of help when he arrived here.