Youth for Understanding South Africa International Youth Exchange
Dear Students, Families, Friends and Colleagues - what a big YFU family! This is a special edition of YFU South Africa newsletter in order to celebrate the 2 week cultural exchange programme, YFU South Africa’s “exchange within exchange”, which happened this year in Mpumalanga Feb 25 March 9 with 25 excellent exchange students, 6 high schools, 26 families and around 100 family members involved. Feast of cultures and colours! This has been the third year in a row that YFU has been sending the exchange students to the schools in Mpumalanga and there is a rumour going around that Mpumalanga will be hosting this wonderful project for many more years to come! Our students were full of excitement already before they left their permanent host families, so just imagine them right before they stepped out of the bus in Mpumalanga to greet their new, excited culture exchange host families! There was excitement in the air, eyes, ears, bus, brains and everything else among the students and for sure among their new host siblings, who were all there to meet, greet and
invite our students into their new homes for the next two weeks! About what happened after they left the bus you can read in this little newsletter – compilation of enriching experience, various emotions, lively pictures and touching words! From the perspective of the YFU South Africa and an intern who was so lucky to experience this cultural exchange while being on the field with the students – we all want to thank wholeheartedly the Mpumalanga Department of Education, especially Mr. Khoza, Ms. Mubi and Mr. Shabane, the principals, educators, staff and the students of these wonderful schools – Khumbula, Mbuyane, Mbambiso, Mbhudula, Camalaza and Mandlesive and the last but not least – the host families, who opened their doors, invited us in and took care of us like one of their own!
I, Gaby, the intern, want to add a big THANK YOU to my dear 25 students, who made me proud to be in the YFU family.
Guys, you ROCK!!! ☺
2 Youth For Understanding South Africa Newsletter Cultural Exchange