Community Health Worker
sana.osman@main1.org
(207)331-6138
Languages: Arabic, English
My name is Sana Osman. I am a Sudanese-American. I was born in the US and raised in several Arabic-Speaking countries such as Sudan, Kuwait, Syria, and Oman. While living in these countries, I learned the different dialects/accents of the Arabic language.
I went to school in Sudan and got my Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science at the University of Gezira. I have lived in the US for the past 15 years and in Maine for the past 3 years with my husband and our 3 children. I worked as a Court and Medical Interpreter before working at MAIN.
Working at MAIN gives me the opportunity to provide more assistance to the community. Before as an interpreter, I was not able to advocate for my clients because we are restricted to translate directly. However, as a CHOW I am able to be interpreter as well as be cultural broker that advocate for the client.
As an interpreter, I was once interpreting for a client at the doctors’ office. She was pregnant and had diabetes. When the doctor asked her if she was testing her sugar levels she said yes. After the doctor left, she told me that she wasn’t testing her sugar level and that she didn’t believe she had diabetes. As an interpreter, I couldn’t overstep my position and intervene in the situation, but as a CHOW I could have mediated between her and the doctor so that the doctor was well informed and she could get the proper treatment and not jeopardize her health. I love working at MAIN because it doesn’t just bring me closer to my own community, but to other communities as well.
MAIN is the web that connects all the different communities and cultures, and it facilitates interactions by bridging between the different communities with the greater Portland community.