Tutor Turned Family
A Story of Community Through The Hope Center
When a mother seeks a better life for her family, there is an endless faith that drives her through the journey. Malak Al Zoubi and her husband Yousef Moustafa proved just that as they traveled from Syria to Jordan and then to the United States with their three young children. With a dream for her children to live safely, receive a high-quality education and experience all that the U.S. has to offer, Malak made incredible sacrifices to remove her children from war-torn Syria. It was through this experience that she found that one of God’s greatest gifts is community.
When they arrived in the U.S. in 2016, Malak was referred by her case manager to The Hope Center for additional services including tutoring for her children. Tamim, Malak’s eldest, now 13, struggled with the transition the most of her three children. As the oldest of three, he had the most memories of their time in Syria and of their journey to America. Although he had a lot to overcome, he was also incredibly brave and truly paved the way for his two younger siblings, Jana (10) and Omar (8).
After working with a few tutors and getting to know the community at The Hope Center, Tamim formed an incredible bond with one volunteer in particular – Bonnie Egan, or “Miss Bonnie” as the kids call her.
When Bonnie first began her tenure as a Hope Center volunteer, she was looking for a way to continue to help her community after retirement. Her church had previously partnered closely with Building Hope in the City to set up a tutoring program within their building and she quickly joined. Later, Laurie Kubiak, the Manager of Education at The Hope Center, paired Bonnie with Tamim knowing that they would be a good fit.
Bonnie expressed, “I was just hoping to be helpful as a tutor,” she continued, “I knew it would be a bit different tutoring people from other countries, but I did not know that this relationship would come from it.” It was soon after she was paired with Tamim that she realized what a vibrant child he was. Bonnie warmly expressed that “Tamim’s personality really got him through, and he stole my heart.” They have now worked together for 5 years, giving her the privilege of watching him grow up and blossom in and outside of the tutoring space. “Has a beautiful personality and we share a sense of humor. That is what connected us at first.”
Eventually, the bond between Bonnie and the rest of the family grew. Malak displayed such warmth and generosity towards Bonnie as she hoped this relationship would be an incredible foundation for her and her family in this country. Malak brough Bonnie plenty of traditional Syrian treats to ensure she felt welcomed. She and Malak have become true friends, as was evident from the moment they sat down to share their story. They laughed as they talked about their dinner together the weekend before and upcoming plans this summer for excursions with the kids. Both are looking forward to continuing the relationship they have formed—more and more like family as time goes on.
With all their family back in Syria, Malak wanted to create her own family that her children would grow up with in their new country. She expressed, “We do not have family here. Bonnie is part of our family and someone that is so important to me and my kids.” Bonnie has taken this new role to heart as she now picks the children up for tutoring and brings them back home after, “That extra time I get to spend with them is really fun and they really like it,” Bonnie said.
As she looks toward the future, she has many hopes for Tamim— “I hope that he gets to pursue something he truly enjoys one day and find his purpose,” she continues, “I want him to be so happy and prosper in his life.” As for the future of her relationship with the rest of the family, she thinks that they all will remain close and stay in touch and Bonnie too “feels as if they are family.”
