Friends around the world

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 39

Friends around the world

Hosting an exchange student is an exciting learning challenge as is hosting a Chinese teacher or an agricultural trainee. These people come to New Zealand under the auspices of AFS International, an organisation committed to the furthering of world peace and understanding. Living with a family in another country is a wonderful way to find out what another culture is really like. It far surpasses being a tourist. Hosting a person from another country brings that country’s culture into a New Zealand home. AFS has been in New Zealand for forty years. It was formerly known as American Field Service. It originated with volunteer ambulance drivers who were in the American Field service during World Wars I and 11.

They decided to start an exchange programme

between the United States and other countries. Later this was extended to bilateral exchanges between countries other than the United States. Through AFS, a family has the opportunity to form lasting friendships with a family overseas, and to make new friends around the world and at home. Hosting a student involves all family members in a joint effort. Parents and children learn much more about each other, and about how to relate and communicate. They learn about the differences between countries and individuals. They also come to appreciate the many ways in which people around the world are alike. Most AFS students come to New Zealand for nearly 12 months, arriving in January and leaving the following January. They live as a family

member and attend school with their New Zealand contemporaries. They come. from the United States and Canada, Central and South America, Asia, and Europe. ’ Although host families tend to have teenage children, all sorts of people host AFS students. Jais Abu Hasan from Malaysia, who is the sixth brother in a family of 12 children, has been living In a young family — he has found it very different to have just a one-year-old brother. Life in New Zealand, with washing machines, mild ' food, liberated women and Christianity, is quite an experience for Muslim boy. AFS weighs up many factors with care in matching students with families. z Some may need the security of a traditional two-parent family, but

many are cbmpetely at home with a different situation.

AFS families represent all economic, ethnic, social and cultural groups. They live in the country, in suburbs, and in cities. • AFS parents are truck drivers, teachers, salesmen, accountants, labourers — from every walk of life. , The most important criteria for an AFS host family are: Curiosity about others, Understanding about differences, A desire to share, Flexibility in outlook. The host family provides board and lodging for the student AFS covers transportation to and from the family, medical expenses, and a small allowance to the student for items such as postage and films. This feature has been made possible by Noel Leeming Ltd.