We decided to start this book with a chapter on the most important aspect of bringing women back to learning: an exploration of what it takes to just “be” – to exist free from worries, conflicts, and other burdens. In the following section you will find a discussion of the day-to-day realities women working on this project and at the WISH Learning Centre face. We follow that with our view of what creates a welcoming space for women coming into a learning centre from the street.

Women working on this project struggled to represent the views, attitudes and experiences of other street involved women. It was important to explain what the daily reality was, so you the reader could better understand the challenges the group faced in creating a safe, nurturing and accepting learning environment.

Women tell us about life on the street

We wanted to describe what it is like for women living and working in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver (DTES), so we asked women on the Committee and in the Learning Centre to tell us about what it is like:

• Physically
• Emotionally/Mentally
• Spiritually

Realities of living in the DTES:

The living arrangements of women on the Committee ranged from single room occupancy (SROs), to a room in a house, to a separate living space equipped with private bathroom, kitchen facilities and living areas. However, the majority of women do not have that luxury or any kind of privacy. We learned that there was little space to keep and store learning materials. Oftentimes women had books and other supplies stolen by people who quickly sold them.