Rotary Student Exchange

There is an article in the September, 2014 issue of The Rotarian that caught my eye when it mentioned Des Moines, Iowa.  The article Beyond Borders emphasizes how a South African family helped create a positive experience for Mara Egherman, now a college librarian.  Her Rotary Exchange took place in 1982 to Johannesburg, South Africa.  Her original host family maintained radical political alliances which were eye-opening to say the least.  Fortunately for her, a school friend invited Mara to stay in their home that last few months of her exchange.  This new family made Mara's exchange experience a positive one.  The goal of exchange programs is to expose young people to other cultures to promote international understanding and peace.  With the thought process that it is harder to hate someone you know.  Mara went on to explain that because of the help she received from this South African family, she felt obliged to return the favor when she learned of an exchange student, Ryan Ahmad, a young Muslim man from the Philippines that needed to relocate.  Ryan Ahmad had been beaten up by a fellow exchange student at school.  Within a few days, Ryan arrived at her home in Des Moines, Iowa, where she lived near a university, a neighborhood full of immigrants, and her 15 year old daughter and 10 year old son.  By the end of the school year, Ryan Ahmad had made friends at his new school, hung out at the local mall and spent time at the homes of his new friends.  Mara had passed along the same gift she had received over 30 years ago and hoped he would be able to do the same.  Our club has been quite fortunate in the foreign exchange students we have hosted.  I hope we have the opportunity to make a difference in another student's life in the future.