This article was originally published in the Times of India.
Rameez’s father, a popcorn vendor, would never have dreamt that his son would one day set off for foreign shores. But, Rameez is bound for US along with 16 other children selected from Gujarat as part of an exchange programme.
Forty-two students from across the country will depart for US as part of the Youth Exchange and Study programme conducted by American Field Service, funded by the US Department of State. Of these, 17 are from the state, and five from FD High School in Juhapura.
The programme aims at promoting academic and cultural interaction between students of the two countries. Indian students will live with US families for a year and study in public schools.
“I never thought I would visit a foreign land, let alone study and live there for a year,” says a delighted Rameez, who has just wrapped up packing for his stay in Washington DC.
The group will be armed with projects and presentations to showcase Indian culture, especially festivals, that the country is known for world over, he says.
Students from Gujarat hail from Ahmedabad , Gandhinagar, Vadodara and Anand.
The other students from FD High School are Rehan Malik, Narsinh Shams, Dinaaz Awadiya and Mohsin Holda. Most of them are from Class XII and will be skipping their board exam to be part of this exciting experience.
They are all Gujarati medium students. “We organized special classes for those selected. Two of our students were part of this programme last year and have returned just a few weeks ago,” says principal of the school, Mohammed Husain Gena.
The other students from Ahmedabad are from Anand Niketan, HB Kapadia High School, St Xavier’s High School, Loyola Hall, and Asia High School.
Says Dinaaz, one of the lucky ones to be selected , “I come from a middle class family. To be selected from among thousands of children who applied, is thrilling. I will be taking a project on Ajanta and Ellora caves along. During the selection process, I met students from Germany who still think students in India go to school on elephants. I’m glad I will get a chance to change that image.”
Explaining the selection process, Susan Thomas, president of Ahmedabad chapter of American Field Service, says, “Students had to fill a form describing their vision to register. The second round involved a 28-page form with all details and parameters we were looking for. This was followed by an interview, group discussion and home visit.”
© 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd
Related Links:
Multi-Cultural Club Learns About India
Alumni Video from Gujarat
Hosting a YES student
This article was originally published in The Northwestern
By Aldrich M. Tan of The Northwestern
Before she first came to Oshkosh, the only thing that 18-year-old Ninda Kartikadewi knew about Wisconsin was that it’s a cold state in winter.
Kartikadewi came to Oshkosh through the American Field Service’s Youth Exchange and Study program. The program is specifically for students from countries with significantly large Muslim populations.
As she prepares to return to her hometown of Purwakarta, Indonesia, Kartikadewi said she has learned more about Wisconsin, and America, but most importantly, more about herself.
“I feel that I am more independent right now and I think I can solve problems all by myself,” she said. “I have become more aware about myself and the potential that I have.”
This is the first year that Oshkosh is involved in the YES program, said Mary Ann Offer, American Field Service Oshkosh chapter coordinator.
Kartikadewi applied for AFS at age 16. She had always wanted to go abroad and initially wanted to go to Europe. AFS representatives suggested she should apply for the YES program, which comes with a scholarship.
Kartikadewi arrived in Oshkosh in August. She hardly knew anyone, so she formed a close bond with her host mom, Jennifer Little.
Little said Kartikadewi couldn’t have been a more perfect student and guest. They connected over their interest in classic music and their favorite song, “September,” by Earth, Wind and Fire.
On her first day at Oshkosh West High School, Kartikadewi was late for class and got lost in the large high school. As time went on, she started to fit in and made a lot of new friends.
Overall, Kartikadewi didn’t face any tension from the community about her background. There was one incident in a French class where one of her classmates made a terrorists joke. “I could see that he felt terrible after that, but I didn’t want to make it into a big problem so I forgave him,” she said.
Kartikadewi also spoke at classrooms and during the high school Global Awareness week about her country and Muslim heritage.
She looks forward to seeing her family and friends again. Kartikadewi plans to go to medical school to become a doctor.
Kartikadewi donated most of her clothes to charity. She saved a winter coat for another Indonesian student coming to Wisconsin, along with some advice. “Try cheese,” she said. “Cheese is actually pretty good. And the most important thing is to just be yourself and enjoy the year here.”
Copyright The Northwestern
Photo courtesy of AFS: Indonesian students depart the US.
This article was originally published on WCPN Ideastream
by Kymberli Hagelberg, 90.3
As an exchange student, it’s bubbly Kartika Nurahayati’s job to introduce herself and her culture to Americans – and to bring home to Indonesia an understanding of the United States. Sometimes that’s a little tricky. Like what exactly does her American sister eat for breakfast?
Kartika Nurahayti : “We usually have a lot of fruits at the house, but we rarely get mangos at home. One morning Rebecca was going to school, and she asked me if I can peel the mango. I said, Rebecca, do you want me to peel our cat?”
It turned out Mango the cat was perfectly safe. Sixteen year-old Rebecca assured her of that. She’s a vegetarian like the rest of the Kimmelfield family.
Rebecca Kimmelfield: “It was pretty funny. She was pretty scared. I was talking about the fruit, but I guess she didn’t realize that cause it was early in the morning.”
At 17, Kartika is very different from your typical American teenager. She is pleasant but deferential. Expressing her opinion to adults doesn’t come easily. At school she wears a hijab – the headscarf some Muslim women wear to show modestly. Her clothes – while trendy—cover her from wrist to ankle.
Kartika says it wasn’t easy talking her very strict parents into traveling to America alone.
Bob Kimmelfield —who Kartika calls her American dad—says he understands parental hesitation. He commiserated with Kartika’s father by phone just last week.
Bob Kimmelfield: “I told him what Kartika had told me about him being overprotective, and how when she told me that I said your father has let you go halfway around the world to stay with people who he’s never met—and that doesn’t sound overprotective. He got a laugh out of that.”
Kimmelfield is Jewish. Wife Margaret Krolkowski is Catholic. Children Rebecca, Bruce and Leon are still deciding. This is the family’s first experience hosting an exchange student.
Bob Kimmelfield: “This seemed like it would work well. We needed a little more diversity —and we found it.”
The YES program, short for Youth Exchange and Study, was created by the U.S. State Department and Congress after Sept. 11th. The idea was to initiate diplomacy with the Muslim world through its teenagers. Making 16 to 18 year olds agents of World Peace is a pretty heavy load for young adults, but Kartika seems to welcome it.
Kartika Nurahayti i: “Actually, before I come here I didn’t really pay attention a lot with what is happening in the world. I mean, I care about my country, but whatever, other countries having war? Oh…Right now when I have a Jewish dad and a Catholic mom, and I feel connected.”
In her American senior year, Kartika met with politicians in Columbus and Washington, attended prom and marched with the band. She went to mosque with Muslim friends from Shaker, and regularly attended mass and synagogue with her American parents.
Kartika Nurahayti : “When I heard the lectures it feels like oh, this is the same thing with the Muslim and Christians. So it’s just like basically, it’s very universal.”
Carol Bell oversees exchange students and recruits host families in Cleveland’s east side suburbs. She says students exposure to American culture goes far beyond their own personal experiences.
Carol Bell: “With each student touching the hearts of about 40 different people and then going home and changing some stereotypes that their culture may have about us, it gradually just builds.”
Kartika says she has been fundamentally changed.
Kartika Nurahayti: “Before I went here I somehow hate people without enough reasons. I’m like oh, these people are bad and I have to avoid them. Right now, I know a lot more about why these people hate these people, and I guess there is a way not to hate people.”
Kartika goes home this weekend.
Ahmed Fayez Desouky, 06-07 alumnus from Egypt, recently took first place nationwide in Thanaweya Amma, the final Egyptian graduating certificate from secondary school.
Ahmed, who is legally blind, was hosted with the Christopher family in Kansas.
Many of you may have seen him on Egyptian TV, on Al Ashera Masaa, where the first thing he mentioned was his year with YES and how it has changed his life and motivated him. H.E. Minister of Education also called him to congratulate him personally and present him with his prize.
Congratulations to Ahmed on his achievement and for continuing to be an excellent YES representative!
GRANT OVERVIEW
Youth Service America (YSA) and Disney are offering grants of up to USD500 to support youth-led service projects taking place from October 15-November 15, 2008.
Application deadline is 30 August.
For grant information and application please visit the ServeNet website.
From Youth Service America:
Children can solve community problems by working with their families, schools, friends, and neighbors. Join in the global youth service movement, and make a difference in your area.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
This is an international grant opportunity, so applicants from all countries are welcome to apply, provided they are:
Youth (ages 5-14); or
Older youth (ages 15-25) who design a project that engages children (ages 5-14) as volunteers; or
Recognized groups/organizations who work with younger youth (ages 5-14).
The term “youth” is equivalent to “young people.” For this grant, youth (ages 5-14) should have a significant part in planning, implementing, and evaluating the proposed service project.
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