The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
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The cases in the Create Your Own Case Toolkit were developed by the Community Engagement Team (CET) outreach workers in the Department of Human Service Programs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. You can use the cases to draw inspiration for your own case writing or as a basis for discussions with others to improve your family engagement skills and knowledge. |
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| CASE 4: Making Your Intent Clear Tagasech Wabeto
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THE BACK STORY:
Tigist is a 35-year-old lady who came from Ethiopia 2 years ago with her husband and her 4 sons, 17, 15, 13, and 9 years old. Tigist signed up for English classes at the Community Learning Center (CLC) but never attended them. Eventually, a CLC advisor called her to invite her to class. The advisor called a few times, but Tigist didn’t return the calls. I am an Ethiopian community outreach worker and was asked to try and reach Tigist. I called her more than once and left Tigist messages in Amharic. Tigist did not pick up the phone or return the calls. Finally, after Tigist and her husband listened to the messages, her husband called me back. He said to Tigist, “Here she is; you can talk to her.” He gave Tigist the phone.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
What are some ways that the outreach worker can try to gain Tigist’s trust over the phone? How would you start the conversation?
THE FULL STORY:
I told her who I am, where I work, as well as what I do. I also asked her why she signed up for English class but did not answer the phone when the CLC advisor called her back. She said, “I was afraid of them, I thought they are going to change my religion. That is why I did not want to pick up the phone.” I explained to her that the CLC has nothing to do with religion. People from any religion are welcome and recognized by the CLC.
I know that Tigist is from the northern part of Ethiopia. People from that area are very often conservative and Orthodox in their religious beliefs and always have a hard time trusting others. In northern Ethiopia, when a White person asks an Ethiopian to speak to another Ethiopian, it is usually to convert them to Protestantism. That is why Tigist not only didn’t return the CLC advisor’s calls, but she didn’t return my calls either. People from the northern part of Ethiopia are also very proud people. They usually do not accept any assistance from aid organizations. They prefer to die poor than accept aid. They also make fun of those who receive help from aid groups.
In addition to convincing Tigist that CLC didn’t want to change her religion, I also convinced her and her husband that it is a social activity for Tigist to take English classes. That way, her husband didn’t see taking the CLC classes as charity. Communicating with him helped me to reach her. She started the CLC class and began coming to my parenting workshops. Now that her English is getting better, she also attends her children’s school events.
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