How a Career as an Interpreter Can Bring Opportunities in a New Country: the Story of HQ
Originally from Northern Iraq, HQ relocated to the Netherlands under refugee status in 1997, before moving to the UK in 2013.
Since the start of her journey as an interpreter at Vandu Languages, she has proved to be one of the most reliable, hard-working and energetic linguists we've had the privilege to collaborate with.
Today, we are pleased to share her story and viewpoints on topics such as culture, interpreting and education.
Following our interpreter’s preference, we will keep their name confidential.
Background
After a year and a half of living in the Netherlands as a refugee, HQ successfully enrolled at the University of Amsterdam to pursue her degree in History of Art.
This experience enabled her to seamlessly integrate into Dutch culture. Her fascination with art was deeply ingrained in her personality, and facilitated her multicultural view of the world.
Having resided in the Netherlands for 16 years, she decided to relocate to the UK in 2013 as an EU citizen.
“I never had contact with Kurdish people when I was in Amsterdam, and when I came to Brighton, the first time I interacted with Kurdish people was through Vandu, through my job.”
Her perspective on being a migrant emanates from a liberal outlook on the world, which has enabled her to adapt to vastly different cultures and find a sense of belonging wherever she is. The transformations in her life have also had an impact on the next generation, highlighting how her son straddles two cultures: Western and Kurdish, much like herself.
Having constructed her own opinions and engaging in activities uncommon among women in Iraq, HQ has one firm belief:
“I think culture is something you create for yourself when you’re living abroad”.
Role at Vandu Languages
HQ has been an integral part of Vandu Languages for over 6 years. However, being an Interpreter was not always part of her plans.
Upon arriving in the UK in 2013, HQ proactively sought professional opportunities, engaging in various voluntary roles at Brighton Metropolitan College and completing her English assessments.
In 2017, she stumbled upon our Level 3 Community Interpreting Course (in collaboration with our sister company, Diversity Resource International), and thought it was an excellent chance to enhance her English proficiency. Initially, she viewed it as a proactive means to make good use of her time whilst bolstering her confidence in English speaking, but she did not envision it as an opportunity to start a new career.
Shortly after completing her course, she began receiving requests for interpreting jobs, and she couldn't help but be astonished by the substantial demand within the field.
“I never knew that there were a lot of needs for Kurdish Sorani interpreters, and then I started receiving jobs from Vandu, and this is when I began to love my job.”
In her current capacity, HQ partakes in interpreting jobs nearly every day, with the number of hours varying based on client requests.
“Sometimes I have 1 hour, sometimes I have 4 hours, so it depends,” she explains.
Dedication to Assisting Vulnerable Communities
Even though an interpreting career may be exceptionally diverse, HQ shared her fondness for working with young people. She conveyed her commitment to her role, emphasising its significance in enabling her to support vulnerable individuals.
“I do a lot of work for children's services in Brighton, and it’s nice to see that I am helpful”.
She remarked on how the challenges of acclimating to a new culture can increase the vulnerability of newly arrived migrants in a new society.
"When these people are coming, they are very vulnerable. [The UK is] totally different from my culture, my environment; everything is different for them”.
HQ conveys her heartfelt appreciation for having the opportunity through her interpreting role to assist migrants in conveying their thoughts, concerns, and opinions to others. She humbly shared her motivation by saying:
"To help people, that's my aim."
Languages
In addition to Kurdish Sorani and English, HQ speaks Arabic, Farsi, and Dutch.
“We are a minority in Iraq, so we had to learn Arabic. It was the language used at schools,” explains HQ.
However, this was not the only instance where education motivated her to acquire a new language. When she moved to Amsterdam, she was required to take Dutch courses, and her university lectures were also in this language. Nevertheless, a substantial portion of the academic books and references embedded in the curriculum were in English, requiring her to learn these two languages simultaneously.
Her journey with English was progressive. She had her initial exposure while living in Amsterdam, followed by her relocation to the UK, where she further honed her skills by completing her GCSEs and Level 2 assessments, volunteering at the Brighton MET, enrolling in the Interpreting course, and finally applying all her knowledge as a professional interpreter.
About Vandu Languages
At Vandu, we are committed to serving as a gateway of opportunities for multilingual speakers in the UK. We believe in paying our linguists fairly and giving them the training they need to succeed and deliver for our clients. Over the years, we have trained many migrants and refugees to become community interpreters – some of whom have started up businesses of their own.
If you would like to know more about the services we provide, please explore our website or use the following links:
Interpreting Services
Translation Services
Health and Social Care Bilingual Advocacy Services
Level 3 Community Interpreting Course
