“Education is the way forward; it is the way to bring about change.” These were the words of adult learner, Melissa Dillon, who was keynote speaker at An Cosán’s Winter Ball, which took place in The Shelbourne recently. A lone parent of two young children, Melissa told the 250 donors and supporters that her life had been transformed since signing up to a course two years ago with An Cosán, Ireland’s largest community education provider.
Melissa, who lives in the south inner city, liked the sound so much of An Cosán’s 12-week Discover Your Path course, that she was quite prepared to travel to its centre in Jobstown, Tallaght, to attend classes. It is a decision she hasn’t regretted as it set her on “a whole new path”. Melissa said Discover Your Path was “the most amazing course”, which helped her learn a lot about who she was and where her future was taking her. “I gained more confidence, self-esteem, and much more,” she said. “I would highly recommend it.”
Perusing job ads in a different area than childcare, an occupation she had been involved with since leaving school, Melissa realised she did not have all the skills required for many of the roles that interested her. This prompted her to sign up to An Cosán’s Level 5 Business Administration with Digital Skills for Work course just over a year ago. The two-year programme runs simultaneously in three hubs in Dublin with Melissa attending the hub closest to her in The Blue Door, Ballyfermot.
Melissa said she is greatly enjoying the course. “It is giving me the skillset I need to go forward and I am learning a lot about the business industry, which will really benefit me in the future. An Cosán has really changed my life around for the better. It has opened up many opportunities for me. Before, I would not have set goals, but I have set myself many goals for the next five years.
“I know that, thanks to the skills, confidence, work experience and qualifications I am gaining with An Cosán, I will reach my goals,” Melissa continued. “This will not only benefit me, but it will benefit my children too. Like me, they can look forward to a brighter future. And, from watching me study, they can see the importance of learning too.” Melissa said she greatly appreciated An Cosán’s holistic approach, including the financial supports, laptop loan and one-to-one tutoring and mentoring. Although she hadn’t availed of the early years’ provision or counselling service, she had seen her peers benefit from these services and was grateful to know they were there, if she ever needed them.
“I am a true believer in lifelong learning,” she said. “My hopes, plans and dreams for the future are to open up my own business for learning support of all ages, and life coaching, which I have also started studying. The amount of people I have seen struggling with life issues or learning is unbelievable, and I want to do what I can to offer support. I have received great support from An Cosán and I want to pay that forward.”
The MCs for the evening, former Irish rugby internationals and podcasters Barry Murphy and Andrew Trimble, said they were hugely impressed by An Cosán’s delivery of transformative education. “The more we hear of An Cosán, talk to staff and understand how learners are supported in a holistic wraparound way, the more we are in awe,” said Barry.
Heydi Foster, CEO of An Cosán, said: “It is An Cosán’s unique One Generation Solution to inter-generational poverty that is the key to breaking the cycle of disadvantage in under-resourced communities. That is: equip and empower a woman and she will lead her family and community out of poverty. We have an 89% success rate for our learners. We are not well funded, but we are fuelled by the hunger our learners have for a better future for themselves and their children, and we ensure that the additional supports our learners need are there for them.”
Anna Durkan, Chair of the Board, said: “We recognise that those who have been left furthest behind – early school leavers, lone parents, immigrants and those who, for whatever reason, didn’t fit into mainstream education – often need extra support in order to complete an education programme. That is why we provide a holistic wraparound support service. That is what transforms lives – giving families and communities a better, brighter, more hopeful future.”
To find out more about An Cosán’s courses – from foundation to BA degree level – see www.ancosan.ie.
Pictured: Adelaide Nic Chárthaigh, Heydi Foster, Melissa Dillon, Anne Genockey and Mark Kelly.
