Exchange students now friends forever

At a recent get-together with host families and members of the Rotary Club of White River, exchange students reminisced about their experience.

They all agreed that it was an experience that formed friendships that would last forever.

The six young women had only spent a few weeks together with their host sisters, but a strong bond had formed and they unanimously agreed that the friendship that they had developed would last long after the Rotary Youth Exchange programme was over. Over and above that, they felt they had joined a sisterhood that knows no cultural boundaries.

Obviously, learning more about the culture of the country was fascinating, as well as experiencing day-to-day life in a foreign school environment. Something as simple as wearing a formal school uniform was a novel experience; seeing a rhino being dehorned, eating biltong, learning Zulu and Afrikaans phrases and playing afternoon sport were part of the experience.

At the get-together each student did a short presentation on their country and shared what their first impressions of South Africa were. Charlotte Beer from Germany couldn’t believe how much meat we eat; Marie-Maxime Dorez from France was fascinated by how many stars there are in our night sky; Razeda Paricsi-Nadgy from Hungary had discovered potholes and taught her new friends at Curro a traditional Hungarian dance.

Judy Pott, who has spearheaded the Rotary Youth Exchange programme for 12 years, praised the spirit of the South African host sisters and their parents as well as Uplands College and Curro who have done much to offer them the opportunity to experience daily life attending school in the Lowveld and the broader cultural dynamics of our country.

They have all enjoyed trips to the Kruger National Park, Panorama Route and a cultural tour to a neighbouring village, while a few had already been taken on holiday to Durban, Cape Town and Mozambique.

The South African host sisters will fly across to their respective hosts at the end of the year for their own six-week stay. For some it is their first trip overseas and for all of them, the first time they will fly on their own.

The Rotary Youth Exchange is the opportunity of a lifetime for those who have the privilege of participating each year. It is a learning-abroad programme for young schoolgoing children who spend time overseas either on a short six-week stay or as part of a full-year programme as an international student hosted by Rotary Clubs around the world.

The programme is open to schoolgoing learners aged 15 to 18 years.

Participants are responsible for a round-trip airfare, travel insurance, visa costs and spending money. The Rotary Club host families provide accommodation and meals and cover the cost of entertaining their visitor and daily excursions.

Enquiries: Judy Pott on judypott@gmail.com, visit their Facebook page: Rotary Club of White River or the website https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges.