ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An evening of Kurdish songs and dance, Kurds and Germans alike attended a ceremony in Germany to recognize the achievements of students enrolled in a Kurdish-language academy.
The Ronak Cultural and Social Association organized the event in partnership with Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO), a welfare organization in Germany, and the Kurdish Language Committee of Germany.
The Kurdish-language academy in Bochum, Germany, was opened in October 2017. Since then, about 200 young Kurds have enrolled in the school and have successfully improved their written and oral Kurdish skills.
One of those students, Miras, was born in Germany. She told Kurdistan 24 that after taking the Kurdish-language courses, she now speaks fluent Kurdish.
“In the past, my Kurdish was not as strong, and I did not know much about Kurdish culture and history,” Miras explained. “However, I have learned a lot thanks to my teachers.”
“I enrolled in the Kurdish classes because I want to improve my Kurdish and learn more about our history.”
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Mohamad Kalash, one of the teachers at the academy, said the instructors “are committed to providing the best education for our students.”
Kalash told Kurdistan 24 that the academy’s curriculum focuses on three categories: the Kurdish langue, Kurdish history, and the geography of Kurdistan.
“All three of these subjects are important for us, and that is why we focus on them,” he said.
Among the attendees at the ceremony were German and Kurdish academics, politicians, and activists, including renowned Kurdish singer Shivan Perwar.
Mustafa Chalakoglu, a German-Kurdish lawmaker, expressed his delight with the Kurdish-language courses and the success of the Kurdish academy.
“We support all groups in Germany who want to practice and learn their language and culture. We hope Kurds [in the diaspora] have the opportunity to learn in their mother tongue,” Chalakoglu told Kurdistan 24.
At the end of the ceremony in Bochum, awards and certificates were handed out to students for their achievements throughout the 2018/19 school year.
(Additional reporting by Kawa Mohammed Amin)