Inspiring Amala Alumni Series: Hamza Guma

We hope you’re enjoying our Alumni series so far and that you love finding out what each of our former students have been up to. This month’s Amala  graduate is 25-year-old Hamza Guma from Sudan. Hamza completed two Amala courses: Peacebuilding in your Community (2018) and Arts and Culture Expression (2019) in Amman, Jordan. Over a late afternoon Zoom call we caught up with Hamza to see where his path has taken him since completing his Amala courses.  

What have you been doing since you completed the Amala courses? 

Since finishing my Amala courses I’ve completed teacher training with the British Council. Pre-COVID I was teaching via home visits and helping with community development - but with the virus everything has changed for now. During the home visits I enjoyed teaching English and would help refugees like myself. I really enjoyed meeting people from all over through my work and I’m hoping I can get back to it soon.

How do you feel Amala has helped you with what you have done since the courses? 

The courses helped me with my English, which I now prefer using. I felt it was important for me to have experience in languages because I’ve always known that communicating with people from different backgrounds can change your life. As a result, the courses have helped improve my skills so that I can teach English more effectively. I also think that Amala Education is unique as they guide you with questions, which help  you find the answer yourself, and this then pushes you to think more about situations and mindsets. This structure has really guided me to the position I wanted to be in moving forward. I really enjoyed the journey and I’m always trying to get others to participate in one of Amala’s courses. 

Do you enjoy teaching and meeting new people?

I enjoy teaching so much. It’s such a great role to be in as it’s almost impossible for me not to meet someone new and learn new things. I’m always focusing on different areas of the city (Amman) and exploring different cultures - particularly in the areas that need the most help. 

Are there any other ways that Amala has changed you? E.g. In your mindset, thinking, actions towards others

I feel like Amala has really helped me develop. I come from a diverse community with so much conflict. In Sudan there are as many as 518 languages and there was always a lot going on. When I came to Jordan, I was very different from today. Since attending the Amala courses it’s totally transformed and taught me so many things like opening your mind and seeing the world in so many different ways. 

What are your aspirations for the future? 

In my community I can see that so much work needs to be done such as unity, community design and economic changes – we need youth to communicate and shift this position. As we’re born in this turbulent time and we understand the problems from being refugees, I believe that we can also find the solution. I want to be a part of the movement that is happening now and help by using my skills and knowledge in any way I can.  In terms of future education, my dream is to study Social Work as I would really love to work with schools and different communities to learn more. I have some opportunities to keep learning here in Amman, which is a good start, but I always want to keep learning, so taking on more courses and study is my goal.

What inspired your interest in social work?

When I arrived in Jordan I met so many people, some that were really wonderful, but also some who were really negative. I would always wonder what made that person so negative. From that point on I started to understand that a person with a negative outlook would need some help. On one occasion I started talking to someone experiencing this negative outlook, I started telling him about myself and asking him questions in return and slowly he opened up and we became friends. So I think sometimes people who have had bad experiences have a closed mindset, so if I could help more people open theirs, I could achieve so much and I would love to be able to do that as a job.  

Would you recommend Amala programmes  to fellow students new to Jordan?

I recommend them all the time; I always encourage my friends that I have here in Jordan to go and sign up for a course. I would also love for Amala to open the courses in Sudan as my friends there would also really love to learn after hearing about my experience. 

What would your advice be for other young refugees? 

My advice would be to always work on any issues you feel you may have as sometimes when we don’t deal with our own issues, we can become negative and it follows us to our next chapter. Life is a big challenge – you need to focus on yourself and not spend too much time listening to social media. Make sure you’re always getting a wide range of information from other sources.