Sophie’s HIPPY Story: ‘My son and I grew closer.’

Sophie immigrated to Canada from Cameroon in 2012, with her husband and son. In 2014 she had a second boy. Her biggest obstacle as a new immigrant was learning English, and she found it difficult to communicate even basic needs.

Sophie learned of HIPPY from her family doctor, which was ideal because she had been looking for a way to teach her elder son English. She remembers first meeting her Home Visitor and feeling worried about communicating well enough. However, with the encouragement of her Home Visitor, she has worked hard and is improving both her reading and speaking skills.

The HIPPY program has given Sophie strategies about how to help her son with his reading comprehension, how to get him to do homework even when he doesn’t want to, and how to play with and engage her two children regularly.

The HIPPY program has had a beneficial impact on her son as well.

He is very brave. I see the improvement in his studies.

Sophie has also enjoyed a stronger mother-son relationship as a result.

We grew closer. I want to know what he is doing at school. This is a connection I didn’t expect him to tell me…so it means he is close to me.

Sophie would like to go back to school and become a social worker or teacher. She says that HIPPY is the inspiration for her desire to work in the education field and to help others.