We've been in touch with one of our former Jacari pupils who received tuition from a Jacari volunteer in the mid 1990s. He told us about his experience:
What is your first memory of meeting your Jacari tutor?
That she was a warm and kind person. She instantly clicked with the whole family.
How did she help you with your English and with school work?
It was a mixture of both. In year 7 I had to write a story for homework and ended up writing a book with her help!
What kind of activities did you do together?
Reading, playing, we went on trips together. She felt like one of the family. She came to our house for dinner a few times too I think.
What are your most vivid memories of Jacari?
I have so many great memories, one being all our Jacari tutors coming to our home with their partners for dinner or going on a punting trip when I must of been 7 or 8. Despite this happening over 28 years ago we still talk about this now as a family with such amusement and joy.
What impact do you think the tutoring had on you?
Such a positive impact. I feel it helped with my behaviour too. We were quite fortunate that my mother worked in a school so we went to things like after-school club so had the initial grounding of mixing with other cultures and backgrounds, but having a home teacher just elevated that. I can honestly say having a home teacher formed some great childhood memories. Also it brought me out of my shell and gave me confidence something I think my daughter lacks at the moment.
What are you doing now?
Currently I am a Small Works Manager at one of the Oxford Colleges. I have held other various management jobs throughout my career.