ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Her country is 11,000 kilometers away from the Kurdistan Region — a place she has never visited — yet she has a massive love for its people and has even taken on a Kurdish name.

Kavita Boodram, who is known as “Kalle” among Kurds, has created all the contacts as a volunteer working as a teacher at an online English language service.


"I got connected to Kurdistan through Facebook when I volunteered for the Macos Organization's very first online English language course," said Kalle. "I met many students, staff and I communicated with so many different people from the Kurdistan Region. I love the kind nature of Kurdish people … so very warm and loving."

Macos is one of the largest and first online English language courses in Kurdistan that provides free English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

"I helped the people of Kurdistan so everyone could learn English as a second language, so they can benefit in many various fields of education that provided them with a better career and a brighter future for the younger generation…" she said.

She is from island nation of Trinidad and Tobago off the Venezuelan coast.

"[The Kurds'] passion for learning the English language is amazing," she said.


"I help Kurdish people, because I love humanitarian work and Kurds are the warmest, most kind and loving people. I have never met anyone with so much love for humanity like the Kurds," she said.

She said through her Kurdish friends, she could now speak, read and write in Kurdish

"I understand very well, I can have a basic conversation in Kurdish by speaking and text messaging," she said.

She said part of her message by volunteering is to encourage Kurdish women to learn English in order to be able to have more options in the workplace.

"I wanted to help women especially, because of the fact that they are not exposed and allowed certain sense of freedom prevented by the Kurdish culture and laws. That's the only thing I find overwhelming."

Rudaw