Meet Janet Thomas Monite, a dedicated student and volunteer of the Renewal Programme since 2021. Throughout her journey with us, Janet has shown resilience and commitment, despite facing challenges with her mental health. Janet has travelled through many different pathways at the Renewal Programme, and through doing so, has developed her confidence and forged many friendships along the way.

Janet enrolled onto the free ESOL classes available, and despite feeling confident in her English speaking, she was adamant to enrol onto an entry level course so that she could improve her grammar and writing skills. Janet’s classmates would often tell her that her English was perfect because of her fluency in speaking, but she would say: ‘When you speak, you don’t know that you have a lot to learn. I am happy I am doing the English class because I want to have a career, I want to find a job’. 

Eager to develop her skills as much as possible, Janet also enrolled herself onto the IT course and 12-week Employment Skills Workshop in 2023. After receiving training in looking for jobs, improving her CV and interview practise, Janet soon got the confidence to apply for jobs, and also received her first job offer.

Janet’s dedication to learning, upskilling herself, and developing her confidence, has allowed her to benefit from the vast services that the Renewal Programme offers, and truly empower herself. She is grateful for the support she has received and hopes to continue being a dedicated volunteer and community member.

Meet Rohima Begum, a woman of Bangladeshi descent who came to the UK in 2003. Rohima struggled to learn English due to being busy caring for her kids and her sick mother-in-law. However, when her youngest child became old enough to attend nursery, she registered herself for ESOL classes at the Renewal Programme upon hearing about it from a friend. Eager to learn English and become more independent, Rohima started Entry Level 2 in 2019. 

Rohima completed ESOL Entry Level 2 in two years, despite the pandemic and lockdown impacting her studies. Determined to improve her English skills further, she then progressed onto Entry Level 3 with Victor, and later ESOL Level 1 and Level 2. The latter part of her studies was particularly challenging for Rohima, and many times she wanted to give up. However, through continuous encouragement from her teachers, Rohima persevered.

Rohima has shared how her ESOL classes have not only helped her develop her self-confidence, but also find company outside of the house as she befriended many classmates. She feels happier as she is now able to articulate herself and understand people much better. In 2023, Rohima recalled her teacher Jo Bhattacherjee always encouraging her to start volunteering as it would allow her to practise her speaking and listening. Eager to improve, Rohima searched for volunteering opportunities at her local nursery and started volunteering in October 2023. After volunteering for three months, Rohima was then offered a job from January 2024 where she is currently working now. 

Through improving her English at the Renewal Programme, Rohima feels independent and empowered. Obtaining a job and having her own income has enabled her to be self-reliant. Rohima shared that if she hadn’t come to the Renewal Programme, she wouldn’t be where she is today.