Meet Our Lovely Participant Hebe

We are so happy to share this lovely story of Hebe, a remarkable woman who exemplifies resilience and the power of never giving up. Hebe is one of the extraordinary participants at our social group Coffee, English & Friends in Palm Beach.

Hebe is a 75-year-old lady from Brazil who has been living in Australia for some years. She was once fluent in English, but her life took a challenging turn when she suffered a cerebrovascular accident, causing her to lose her language ability and confidence.

She told us, "I enrolled in English classes in an RTO but quickly realised my confidence was gone. The fear of making mistakes and failing was overwhelming. I was so stressed that speaking became incredibly difficult. I felt stuck and decided to quit."

But Hebe's story didn’t end there. Her son found our social group, Coffee, English & Friends, and contacted us. Ellie from our Community Development team remembers Hebe's first day. " The first time Hebe came to our class, she was a bit afraid, unsure if she could overcome her past experiences. But as she started engaging with the group, she was impressed by the supportive, relaxed and friendly atmosphere."

In our group, Hebe found a place where making mistakes was part of the learning process, and joy was there in every session. With a smile on her face, she said to us, "Here, I don’t feel any pressure. There's no problem making mistakes. Everyone participates. I am excited to meet with my friends again on Tuesdays."

With the support of our social group, Hebe has regained her confidence and overcome her fear of speaking. She is now an active and enthusiastic participant in our classes.

We are so happy to have Hebe in our group and proud to have helped her regain her confidence. Her story is a powerful reminder that we can overcome difficult challenges with support and perseverance.