Jummabi sits at a table surrounded by three women wearing headscarves. She confidently helps them pronounce English words. Every now and then one of the women asks her a question in Burmese and she replies; first in Burmese then in English. They call her “Sayama”, teacher. They are dressed in long skirts and dresses, but Jummabi wears stone washed blue jeans. Her head is covered, but it is a different scarf than the other women.
Jummabi has always done things her way. She is a devout Muslim, prays five times a day, and reads the Quran. She is also fearless. She has lived her entire adult life without a husband. Most women of her faith and ethnicity are married by age 20 and begin to have children. She chose to be different. By the time she finished tenth grade (the highest level that public education offered in her town) she was an orphan. Her mother passed away when she was eight and her father died the year she finished school. Jummabi decided to attend a teacher training college. She finished the program and went on to teach for the next 36 years of her life. When she was 60 years old she retired and moved to Malaysia. She lived there for seven years and then came to America in 2013.
She has been attending the Project Worthmore English class since she first arrived in Denver. She only spoke a small amount of English at that time, but she has learned a lot over her three years in America. “I love Liz and I love this class.” She says, smiling. In March, Jummabi began assisting Liz in the Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday beginner class. She arrives at 8:30 and helps students, then she attends the following Level III class. “I really enjoy helping Liz. It fills me with so much joy and purpose to know that I am able to give back to my community.”
Liz says, “One can see that some people are born to be teachers. You can see how she lights up when she teaches. A spark ignites in her when she is given the opportunity to teach. I hope that she finds purpose here with her teaching ability.”
Last year, one of the students in Jummabi’s class committed suicide. He was a single man, living by himself. After his death, Jummabi confided in Liz saying, “I am like him. I am here alone. I have no family.” Since then, she has become more involved in the English class and her community in general.
It is 10:00 and Jummabi’s students stand and make their way to the door. “Thank you teacher!” They say to her. She nods and smiles, then, as more people come into the room for the Level III class, 72-year-old Jummabi settles into her seat to learn more.
