We can all relate to the saying, “Put yourself in someone else’s shoes”. I can personally relate to this quote growing up, as it was one of the most common expressions my parents used to say when they wanted us to feel people’s misfortunes and view their situation from a different humanitarian lens. I was 14 years old when the Syrian civil war first broke out in 2011 and it was the first time that I felt challenged to envision what life would be like as a refugee. Imagine waking up in a foreign place, dealing with daily challenges, and trying your best to integrate after witnessing war atrocities and devastation. Sadly, this is the reality of many refugees and immigrants arriving to the other end of the world. The refugee crisis today witnesses the highest levels of displacements on record worldwide. According to UNHCR, at the end of 2017, more than 70 million refugees from Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries worldwide are fleeing their homelands to escape war, persecution and human rights violations. In addition, immigration has increased in recent years with hopes of parents to provide better lives for their children with promising prospects of educational and job opportunities overseas. However, most of the people who become refugees or immigrants face a common problem in the Western and developed world, which is communication barriers due to language differences.

Imagine not being able to open a bank account, register in a course, communicate with a health professional, or your lawyer, or even carry on basic conversations. I know firsthand because that’s what life was like when my family first arrived to Canada in 2010. As immigrants from the UAE, my parents considered themselves lucky to have us, their children to interpret for them. But, for many others who arrive here alone or with no English speaking family member or friend, they struggle to complete simple day to day tasks from filling in paperworks to paying bills. Over the past five years, my hometown London Ontario, has welcomed in more than Syrian 50,000 refugees. Therefore, I decided to take the initiative to see how much of an impact language barriers have on new immigrants and refugees arriving here. During my first year of University, as part of Western Serves Network, I volunteered with my community partner, the London Cross Cultural Learning Centre LCCLC to gain a firsthand view of the struggles that new immigrants and refugees face. The Community is a crucial support for newcomers, immigrants and refugees across London as it provides intercultural awareness. It has personally impacted my family ten years ago as newcomers to Canada. To payback the favour, I worked along side this community to help newcomers to connect and interact with people from all walks of life and most importantly provide translation and settlement services in order to adjust to new schools and a new home.

Rasha Aziz, a 24-year old Syrian refugee, recounts her experience when she first arrived to Canada. “It was very difficult,” she says. “I couldn’t understand anything” as she describes her experience trying to sign up for University courses. That day, I sat down with Rasha and showed her step-by-step the process to register for her different courses. Volunteering to help people like Aziz was a great experience, but one thing that got me thinking; how can I offer more to people in-need of translation services? How can they be fully independent without the need of an on-site interpreter? What if I can provide them with a 24-hour service at any time and place?

This is when a light-bulb lit up in my mind and my idea came to life! My plan is to create a user-friendly mobile app that will help refugees connect with translators worldwide in a matter of seconds at their fingertips. “Sadeeq”, Arabic for “Your Friend”, is an interactive app that allows all types of users to gain access to interpretation services concerning topics such as: medical, educational, legal, job applications, housing, internal paper work, social media or others. Sadeeq’s mission statement will be to enhance the quality of life of people in-need of humanitarian services by breaking down the barriers of language differences. Because all human beings have the right to a dignified life and world languages should never build walls, but instead build bridges of communication, expression and acceptance.

Sadeeq offers open translation services powered by the world’s 2.5 billion multilingual speakers to volunteer their time, skill-sets and experience as linguistic interpreters for the 70-million refugees worldwide. When an asylum seeker, immigrant or refugee requests an interpreter for a specific language, Sadeeq’s smart machine learning algorithm will match and choose the best fit for the case. The volunteer taking on the case is then connected to a 1-on-1 live chat with the with the requester, where they can send messages, digital documents, and even initiate a phone or video call.

Refugees and immigrants looking for translation services and volunteers looking to help will be able to download the Sadeeq mobile app on Android or iOS. Next, it will bring them to an introductory page about the platform’s goal. There will also be a terms & condition pop-up that will allow both translators and seekers to review the app’s guidelines. They will be asked to enable microphone for voice notes and if they want to receive regular notifications about updates. Next, the app asks the user what they would like to do; whether to have access to translation services or volunteer their polyglot skills to help a person in-need or simply donate to support the community. Finally, the user will be able to Login and sign-in to their account in order to start the communication process worldwide!

Here is how it will work for the seekers:

1. Seekers of the various services will create a list of languages they need an interpreter for.
2. After the languages are selected, Sadeeq’s search algorithm will pair the seekers with the best available translators online.
3. Sadeeq will be able to connect volunteers and seekers on a 1-on-1 live chat session online where they can send messages, digital documents, and start a phone or video call.
4. When the request has been fulfilled, either party can end the call and the seeker can rate the session of the service provided.

Here is how it will work for translators:

1. Translators will be directed to a brief training session to familiarize them with Sadeeq’s code of conduct and the steps they need to take to earn an official Translator Designation with the number of hours and people they helped.
2. When a seeker requests an open-invitation to a translator with a specific language skill, the interpreter will receive a notification asking if they are willing to take on the seeker. Translators will get to accept or decline the request, but the first volunteer that accepts it will be directed to a live session with the seeker.
3. When the request has been fulfilled, either party can end the call and the translator can provide feedback on the completed session.

The aim of Sadeeq is to mobilize multilingual volunteers across the globe to share their skills with those who are most in-need. It tackles the issue of finding physical translators, and removes financial burdens to hire an interpreter especially for those who can not afford the service. To make Sadeeq become a reality, I will need to receive strong mentorship from experts as they have a depth of experience, skill and knowledge. I currently lack the necessary resources and networks to get Sadeeq started and I need feedback along the way to improve the quality and service. I also need access and connections to powerful industries who would be willing to sponsor the app after it has proven to be successful. Financially, it will also greatly help me to invest more time into researching new services for the app, not limited to only translations services, but also other services such as resume workshops, while still taking on a full-time position as both a student and a professional. This will greatly aid me in the process of launching the app and gaining the necessary visibility to attract high numbers of both multilingual volunteers and seekers. Most importantly, it will significantly break down the walls of language barriers and give refugees and immigrants the power to feel independent and dignified in their new home.

To gain access to sponsorships and fundings would truly be a dream come true as it will bring my idea and visions to life and provide new comers with the help they need. By giving refugees and immigrants the resources to navigate employment and educational opportunities, it will give them hope of a better tomorrow and the motivation to stand back up on their feet. There are millions of people in the world waiting for an on-demand translation service and there are also millions of people who are willing to extend their hand to help. Humanitarian assistance should never come short of language translation services and with Sadeeq, volunteering a few minutes of your time could seriously make a huge difference in someone’s life.

To learn more about the writer, please visit: https://sadeeqtranslator.home.blog/2019/03/31/about-myself/

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatma-zourob/

Email: zourob1997@gmail.com

Alternative Email: fzourob@uwo.ca

Published: March 31st, 2019