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The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) promotes intercultural understanding and diverse communities by providing high-quality language instruction and teacher training.

You are here: Home / News / Dreams Do Come True: Brahim’s and Hasnaa’s Story

July 24, 2018

Dreams Do Come True: Brahim’s and Hasnaa’s Story

Anyone who’s had to finance the purchase of their home knows the rigors of that process and the additional amount of money necessary to repay that loan over time. Brahim says although he and his wife Hasnaa long wanted to have a home for themselves and their two children, he never even approached a bank about a mortgage, knowing that his minimum wage salary would not work in the bank’s formula for lending and that even if it did, the tenets of his cultural heritage prohibit him from making the interest payments charged by a bank. For years, therefore, he thought the dream of owning a home in western Mass would never come true.

Brahim was born and lived in Morocco until he was 24 years old, when he came to the United States. He came to Sunderland where a support network of friends helped him and his family with a place to live while they got established. He worked with local agencies to learn English and then attended Greenfield Community College where he studied while working his job in the manufacturing field.

Hearing about Pioneer Valley Habitat through staff at the International Language Institute where he was taking English classes he said, “it gives you hope to know that you can live in a house in a fairly short time and for way less money.” He had been steadily employed at the same job for several years, and was in a good position to apply to become a Habitat homeowner. When he and Hasnaa were not chosen in the first lottery for an Easthampton home, or for an Amherst home that came up a year later, he remained undaunted and told his wife, “One day it will probably be me!”

He was right, and another year later his name came up in two lotteries, one for a Greenfield home and one for a home in Amherst. He and Hasnaa chose Amherst, where Brahim describes dong his sweat equity “like working a second, part time job.” He is happy to do it because, as he says, “the happiest thing is that you are going to own it, have your own space, paint it any color you like. It’s your own house. “He sees their future home as a gift for their children. Their current living situation does not allow them to live the way they would like.

“They want a better life,” he says of his son, age 5 and daughter, 2 1/2 .

“They deserve it.” And what does he think now when he thinks back on all that’s happened? “

So dreams do come true!” he says with a wide grin.

 

Article by ILI Staff / News

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Students in ILI’s Intensive English Program visi Students in ILI’s Intensive English Program visited the Northampton Police station yesterday. Students asked Officer Lauren Bolduc questions about topics from animal control to traffic to violent crime to the job of a cop. The tour took us to every corner of the station from the detention center to the evidence room to Chief Jody D. Kasper in her office. Thanks NPD for an unforgettable experience. ⭐️

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Congratulations to new U.S. citizen Ayça! ✨ Ori Congratulations to new U.S. citizen Ayça! ✨ Originally from Turkey, Ayça studied with us in 2016 and then received a Master’s in Communications and Information Management at @bay_path (ILI university pathway partner). Now she is Director of Marketing and Communications at the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. 

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #congratulations #studentlife #congratulations #citizenship #northampton
“Music is the universal language of mankind.” “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

ILI English and French instructor, Josh Owsley is also a musician! He will be playing bass with @landownerband tonight at @thedrakeamherst . 🎶Hope to see you there!

📸Photo by @vagabundodeltiempo 

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts #northampton #landowner #livemusic #teacherfeature #thedrakeamherst  #community
Congratulations 🎉 to our graduates  Jeffrey ( Congratulations 🎉 to our graduates  Jeffrey (Peru), Azhar (Kazakhstan), Ruveyda (Turkey), Andrei (Russia) and Yasemin (Turkey). Every month we have an international potluck to celebrate our graduates. You might have seen Azhar’s cakes before, but the cake that she made, as you will say, is truly over the top! We are sad to say goodbye to the students, but excited about the next steps that they will be taking in their lives.

Cake by @_azhar_bakery 

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“We must risk everything for the raw recipe of o “We must risk everything for the raw recipe of our passion” 

We had such an engaging afternoon at @parlorroommusic with ILI Board Member + former president of @gccgreenfield Bob Pura. Bob led a reading and discussion of his new book The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success, which he co-wrote with Dr. Tara L. Parker. Audience members also got the chance to learn more about the process behind the creation of the book. 

Thank you for joining us! 📚

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Today Bob Pura and Tara Parker read from and lead Today Bob Pura and Tara Parker read from and lead a discussion of their book The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success! 📚 Join us at @parlorroommusic at 2pm. 

In their book, The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success, co-authors Dr. Robert L. Pura and Dr. Tara L. Parker explore the extraordinary impact of this country’s community colleges on people, communities, and our democratic traditions.

As the book’s foreword by Lynn Pasquerella, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, states: "[T]he analysis offered by Dr. Pura and Dr. Parker unveils how community colleges—distinctively American institutions—are more essential than ever to fulfilling our nation's historic mission of educating for democracy."

Pura, a member of the ILI board of directors, retired in 2018 as president of Greenfield Community College after 17+ years in that position. Parker is the recently appointed Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at UMass Boston.
 
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