As the 24 students involved in the District 5050 Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) Program prepared for their time in a new country this year, they likely spent time investigating their assigned country. They probably learned some basic survival language, read some blogs about the country’s food, and Googled photos of the town in which they would be staying. The RYE leadership prepped them on protocol once arriving, including who to talk to if problems arise, how to plug into the community of students who have already completed an exchange, and that homesickness is a normal aspect early in an exchange. They all knew long hours would be spent in airports and on airplanes. But who could prepare for the impact that COVID-19 has had on cultures globally, much less experiencing this when family is in another part of the world where the pandemic is affecting the population in a different way? Perception of healthcare domestically and internationally is a product of the culture in which you were raised and the thought of seeking treatment in a different healthcare system can be frightening. This is how our inbound and outbound students and their families have been impacted by the global pandemic that is changing life as we know it in ways we have yet to fully realize.
The serious nature of COVID-19 determined that an inbound student, Mashiro Yoshino hosted by the Rotary Club of Chilliwack, would be swiftly returned to her home country of Japan. She sadly left without the usual fanfare seen by students hosted by this Club. She instead celebrated her exchange in the home of her councillor and last host family. Not only was she unable to be honored and talk about her exchange, meetings were cancelled prior to her home Rotary Club’s request for her to return. No one could have guessed our last in-person Rotary meeting would be our last, and therefore no one could wish her well or thank her for her participation in the Club.
Students involved in this year’s exchange traveled to or from Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Peru, Spain, and Taiwan. You will note that some of the hardest hit areas are listed here or close to the epicenter as well as areas with minimal impact. News of the pandemic and its impact came swiftly to some of our students. “Suddenly, with only two days of warning, one of my friends had to go home. It was so sudden, and we were all shocked. He only had one day to pack and get ready to go home,” commented Miwa Clare, an outbound student from the Rotary Club of Chilliwack. She successfully petitioned to remain in Japan despite most others returning home. She said “One by one, I watched them all go. Now its just me.” She remains determined to complete her exchange. However, not all of our students have seen the drastic impact of the pandemic. Anne Biela, an outbound student from the Rotary Club of Chilliwack/Fraser wrote “There has not been even a single case of COVID-19 in our city, and everyone is very respectful about keeping distance and washing hands. The curve has already started going back down in Norway, and though we must be cautious, life still feels like before.”
Regardless of how COVID-19 has impacted us, these brave students have been dealing with this on their own. Many of the students are spending time away from family for the first time. I can imagine this has been quite an ordeal, even if the effect seen is small. This pandemic has caused the term social distancing to be a common phrase- it has even affected our common global language! With so many forms of digital communication available, I am sure that the students involved in this year’s exchange could use some words of kindness or encouragement. These students are already courageous to embark on an exchange, and then have been quickly sent home or are continuing to live away from family. This is probably harder on the student’s parents than it is for the students, but I think support of a student will be felt at home as well. I encourage you to reach out to your club’s RYE chair person for contact information for any students on exchange with your Club. With the support of each other, we can overcome the affects of physical distance and change how we view “coming together.”