Gulsum’s citizenship success!
Gulsum arrived in Australia almost 5 years ago with her family. She is busy with four children including 6 year-old twin boys who have autism, but has still managed to make time to enrol in an English class as a part of the Adult Migrant English Program(AMEP). Her AMEP class runs once a week with a focus on helping those with low level English skills to prepare for the Australian citizenship test. After a lot of study and practise tests in class as well as studying at home late into the night, she passed the Citizenship Test on her first attempt with a score of 100 percent.
Gulsum is very happy that she passed the test and looking forward to having her citizenship ceremony soon. Then she will be able to apply for a passport and visit and support her family in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Gulsum said that the citizenship class was very helpful because if she had not been attending regularly, she would not have understand many things about the citizenship test.
The Our Common Bond booklet is the resource provided by the Department of Immigration and Gulsum found the English in the booklet hard to understand. She said, “I don’t want to miss any class. My teacher Suzanne helped me a lot and I also try to help some of my classmates by translating for them sometimes.” Gulsum mentioned that the practise tests in class, discussions, the homework and the practise tests on the mobile app really helped her to achieve her goal.
The struggles of her family and her people burden Gulsum and she sees her Australian citizenship as a way for her to help not only her family, but others, too, who wish to pass the citizenship test. She wants to pay the kindness that has been offered to her and her privilege forward.