Yemeni high school student learns about America
Youth for Understanding Program - Exclusive Report
[Sun Nov 2, 2008]
The Yemeni American News
Exclusive Report
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An intelligent high school Yemeni student from Aden was one of the few students selected by the Youth For Understanding program. Ayad Amer came to the U.S. for a one-year experience to explore America. Ayad’s motivation to come the U.S. started when he was little. He joined an American private school called AMIDEAST, American Middle East for Study and Training Services in Aden to learn the English language. Ayad’s dream was to come to one of the western countries, in particular the U.S. to improve his speaking and writing skills as well as getting introduced to the American culture. When Ayad heard about the scholarships to the U.S., he diligently worked hard to impress the interviews. He passed the written and oral exams and got accepted to be one of the exchange students. “I couldn’t believe that I have achieved that goal I was dreaming every day.” Ayad said to the Yemeni American News. Two months ago, Ayad landed in Washington D.C. with his thirty Yemeni selected students. Students were assigned to sponsored families all over the U.S. Ayad was assigned to a Pakistani-American family in Troy, Michigan. Barbera Kilkka, Field Director, Youth for Understanding USA joined Ayad in the discussion to tell the YAN and its readers more about the YFU.
Picture to the Left: Ayad and Barbera pose for a picture in Java Lava Cafe' in Dearborn
What is YFU and the Exchange Program?
by: Byarbera Kilkka,
Field Director, Youth for Understanding USA
Youth for Understanding is a non-profit organization which has built bridges between nations and cultures over the past 57 years by offering young people a family living experience in another country. Over 230,000 students from 60 countries have been YFU exchange students. As a YFU student myself going to Germany when I was 16, I can say what most former exchange students will tell you: “It was my most life-changing experience.” As a result, I became involved in youth exchange again as an adult. Our family has hosted 17 sons and daughters from three continents. We have volunteered with YFU locally to find host families, support students, and spread the word about opportunities to host or become an exchange student.
Recently YFU has begun to work with the US Department of State on The Youth Exchange and Study program (YES), an initiative to foster better relations between the US and predominantly Muslim countries, including Yemen. Scholarships are available to approximately 350 students to attend high school in the US for a year. For the 2008-2009 school year, 33 of those scholarships went to Yemeni students such as Ayad Amer. As one of the placement organizations working with the State Department on this initiative, YFU’s responsibility is to find host families, provide support, activities and monitoring to students.
Youth for Understanding USA is also always looking for caring local host families to host exchange sons and daughters. We seek diversity in our host families, and we have families of many ethnicities who decide to host. We place a student in their home from another country which does not share the same language since students come here intending to speak English. Host families provide a place to live and three meals a day plus the encouragement, advice and love to help their new family member through a semester or year in a new home. The students bring their own spending money and good health insurance plus the willingness to be a good family member, following family rules and helping out with family responsibilities. YFU provides local representatives who support the students and families to make sure it’s a good experience for all involved.
Families interested in hosting can call their local District Office at 866-493-8872 to see if hosting might be right for them.
In general, YFU students are the best advertisement for the program, and Yemeni student Ayad Amer has already charmed the Americans he has met with his cheerful, upbeat, talkative, and considerate personality. He’s already on the road to an outstanding experience because he has a positive attitude toward learning, growing, helping others, and sharing his culture while learning about ours.
Contributed to this article:
A. Mozip, R. Alnozili
