The Arima Church of the Nazarene in Trinidad and Tobago held a graduation ceremony 25 June for 23 Venezuelans who completed the church’s English as a Second Language program. This was the third group of Venezuelan migrants to graduate from the program.
The ESL courses are part of a growing outreach program in Trinidad and Tobago. The country has welcomed hundreds of Venezuelans fleeing the crisis in their country, but many do not speak English — the main language in Trinidad and Tobago. The Arima Church has sought to serve the migrant community in a variety of ways, including food distribution, weekly Spanish-language services, and ESL classes.
Local volunteers with a heart for migrant ministry teach the classes once a week, providing Venezuelan migrants the opportunity to learn basic and advanced English.
The Arima church has also partnered with a local humanitarian agency to offer educational childcare three days a week for Spanish migrants, and the church is continually exploring new ways to combat the migrants’ social and financial disparity.