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The world at your doorstep
Topics: Family, children, Bakersfield
Posted by beve83 Fri May 4, 2007 09:17:38 PDT
Viewed 215 times
0 responses 0 comments Location: Bakersfield, CA

When I tell people of all the different places I have been in the world, they usually have the same reply: “I would love to go there someday!” I tell them that they should and that all it takes is picking a date and saving some money.

But in today’s world of what seem like 20-hour days, another year goes by and that longed for rendezvous to Paris, trek to Nepal, safari in Kenya or even vacation to nearby Hawaii is postponed. It is also difficult to conceive that in our daily lives, there are people on the other side of the world going through their own daily routine. Getting ready for work, taking kids to school, washing clothes (not necessarily in a washing machine) and making dinner.

Yet short of booking a flight and landing there yourself, it is hard to imagine that we are citizens of the world, not just America.

Yet there is one way of bringing the world outside these United States a little closer –– by hosting a foreign exchange student.

Until a family or an individual has had the experience of hosting, they cannot imagine how rewarding it is.  Bringing the world into your own home by welcoming a teenager from another part of the world creates a lasting bond between both parties. By having these students live with our families, we break down the barriers that divide people, not only across international borders, but also within our own community. It’s a great opportunity to experience another country without leaving your own home. The rewards a family will reap are unlimited. 
 
I recommend everyone to consider the possibility of volunteering to host an exchange student. If you have an aunt, cousin, grandparents, or even a single person household you think might be interested, contact the non-profit company CIEE (Council on International Education Exchange), or online at www.ciee.org/hostfamily. 

As CIEE’s local coordinator, I am currently looking to place students from Brazil, Spain, Germany, Thailand, South Korea, Slovakia and more. Having these students in our homes does help us gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and learn skills needed to live in our culturally diverse world.

For more information, call Beverly Lwenya, CIEE Local Coordinator, at (661) 802-0142, or e-mail: blwenya@gmail.com

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