Rotarians from Brazil relocate to Surrey

Deborah Malaman joined us at our February 28th Dinner meeting and gave us some background on her Rotary history and move from Brazil to Surrey.

I’ve always loved the English language, and when I was 15 years old, one of my English teachers told me about an exchange student program, I started researching about other programs; that was when I learned about the Rotary Youth Exchange student program. I attended every Rotary Youth Exchange meeting, and got involved in volunteering. After two years (I was 17, and had started university), they told me I was finally going to be an exchange student in Canada. I spent a year in Ontario, and that year changed my life.

Two weeks after I had returned home (1993), I started teaching English (ESL) at a private ESL school. I love teaching, and that is what I have been doing since. I kept in contact with Rotary, and helped in several occasions back in Brazil. In 2013, my husband and I started our process to come to Canada. I was accepted as a graduate (Master’s) student (TESL – Teaching English as a Second Language) at Simon Fraser University. Nowadays I teach at Douglas College in the LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada)

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million members in over 35,000 clubs in over 200 countries

Our mission: We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Youth Exchange is one of many programs that improves understanding and goodwill throughout the world - as evidenced by a student from Brazil learning about Canada and eventually moving to Canada.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM!