Who am I ?
I’m Haïfa and I have Cerebral Palsy. I am a language lover and a traveler. That’s why once I obtained my bachelor’s degree in foreign language and literature in Spanish, I decided to conciliate my two passions and worked for a year as a French language assistant in Spain, in a beautiful city called Fuengirola. I then traveled to Damascus, an amazing place before the war, in order to learn Arabic. I really fell in love with this place because of its ancient and Islamic heritage. As an old city, Damascus wasn’t accessible, but its people were so kind and so helpful, and I never felt left out or isolated. They were the best six months ever! After my experiences in Spain and Damascus, the globe-trotter within me wanted to see more, so I decided to fly to Toronto to improve my English and eventually do my master’s degree in translation and interpretation there. Unfortunately, it was too expensive, and I had to leave after only four months at University. I loved the city and visited Montreal too. I went there in December, so I can proudly say that I survived -40°C. More seriously, I was so impressed by the open-mindedness of the people there and the accessibility. Each and every time people told me I couldn’t do something, my driving force was to prove them wrong. Do not let anyone belittle you and tell you what kind of studies or job you should choose because as a disabled person you should choose “something easier” or settle for less. Don’t let anyone dictate your future -Nothing is impossible in life. Be fearless!
