Simaa Jebabli | Local Hero

Simaa Jebabli is one of our Top Local Heroes featured in our film Depictions of DN. We spoke to her about the work she’s done at the Conversation Club over the last few years.

Once Simaa arrived in Doncaster in 2018 as an asylum seeker, she immediately asked what she could do to help others in a similar position and joined the Conversation Club as a volunteer. Much of Simaa’s work is interpreting for asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Doncaster. She says,  “The new arrivals are new to the town. So they don't know. Where are the halal shops? Where are the shops? Where's the GP? How do these things work? What are they going to face? It’s a totally different system from our countries.”

Along with registering people with a GP, Simaa regularly attends dentist appointments with people who need an interpreter. As a dentist herself, her knowledge of the medical terms means the conversation can be translated accurately. 

The Conversation Club isn’t just somewhere to get health or legal help. Volunteers also provide emotional support and Simaa looks forward to welcoming and helping new people each week. She thinks Conversation Club is “a place where people can come and meet other people who are in the same situation and who are living alone. It's a community. Sometimes it's really lovely to go and find people who speak the same language as you. So you feel like “Oh, I’m not alone” and you start to build relationships with others.”

Simaa is still surprised when people who she has helped in the past remember her and say thank you. So many of them are so appreciative because she helped them at a time where they felt lost. We asked if Simaa had any examples of someone who has been grateful for her help.

“During the pandemic, I just received a phone call from a person I’ve never met before - he was a new asylum seeker and he needed help. He met somebody Arabic in the town who gave him my number and told him ‘If you need something, you can call this lady and she will help you’. I was really surprised because it's very touching when people know you as a person who can help others. Sometimes when I'm walking in town, people see me and ask - “Would you translate that for us? Where can I go? What can I do?” Because my face is familiar and they know my work at Conversation Club. They know they can ask for my help.”

Being nominated as a local hero for Depictions of DN has meant a lot to Simaa. She says “It really brings tears to my eyes because I feel like somebody is really noticing and appreciating what I'm doing. It's worth millions. I cannot describe it. It's priceless, actually.”

Simaa is proud to be a part of the Conversation Club. She says occasionally she feels like she’s not doing enough but helping at Conversation Club gives her the opportunity to make a difference alongside a wider team. She says in tribute to her fellow volunteers: “I'm learning from these people who are really amazing. And they always push me to do more and more and support me all they can. Whenever I need help, they are there for me. All of us - we suffer but we’re all supporting each other. We can pass this very hard time together. Together, we make it. We can pass this difficult time together and that's how life is meant to be.”

Our Top Local Heroes have taken part in a film shoot with artist James Lockey as a way to profile their work and celebrate their achievements. Along with a beautiful film score composed by Hayley Youell, the film was featured in this year’s DN Festival of Light.

Watch the Depictions of DN Film by James Lockey here:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyzO1E-FF6Y