Marwan Charanek (TELUS) helps a BVC ESL Student call home.

More than 40 Bow Valley College ESL and International students were given the opportunity to call home on December 16, 2009, as part of the TELUS Call Home Project.

That may not seem like a big deal, but for these BVC students, home was a little further away. Some of the places students called included Morocco, Sudan, Somalia, Congo, Eritrea, Columbia, Egypt, Brundi and Afghanistan.

Each student was placed in a private calling room and was able to speak with their loved ones for 20 minutes – a call that would normally cost each of them approximately $50 to make. TELUS was prepared to distribute calling cards for the few students who could not speak with their family due to connection issues.

Terri Huck, ESL Coordinator, knows many of the students through her work with the ESL department. In her interview with OMNI/CityTV News, Terri said, “ There were a lot of smiles and tears as our students were able to send holiday greetings home and share some of their stories of life in Canada.  The students were extremely thankful for the opportunity to participate in this event.”

Although each of the students had a very heartwarming story to tell about their call home, Kenbouchia brought tears to the eyes of all. Kenbouchia left Morocco to come to Canada almost two years ago. Unfortunately, she had to leave her 11-year old daughter behind to be raised by with her brother and step sister. It’s been almost two years since Kenbouchia last saw her daughter and the cost of a call home is too steep for her family to afford. Kenbouchia was able to speak to her daughter for 20 minutes and share stories about the cold and crazy weather in Calgary, as well as the opportunities she’s receiving to improve her English at Bow Valley College.

“This is what the spirit of the season is all about,” said Chris Gerritsen of TELUS Corporate Communications. “TELUS Call Home, in partnership with Bow Valley College, is a project that comes from the heart and really brings our community together. It’s wonderful to be able to help the students connect with their loved ones without having to worry about the cost.”

Dana Sperle, a TELUS employee for over four years, organized the entire production. From connecting the phone lines to ordering coffee and donuts, from handling out TELUS critters (this year’s choice was a meerkat) to placing candy canes at each calling station, Dana ran the show with a big smile on her face. The project is also popular among TELUS call centre staff who had been inquiring about the status of the event weeks prior.

So, in keeping with the holiday season, a very special thank you to TELUS for their contribution to this event – Happy Holidays from everyone at Bow Valley College!