US and African teenagers building understanding through exchanging ideas

Presidents Volunteer Service Award Winner students embarked on a student ambassador program where they have cultivated a relationship with contemporary students their age in Africa. The purpose of this exchange is to enhance knowledge of each other’s culture, building mutual respect and understanding.

Nina Sethi started this project after teaching in Rwanda at the Bridge program. This summer Nina Sethi, a teacher from Washington DC and an alumni of District 220, taught English to a group of bright, talented African students through the program. Nina recognized how unique these students were in their ideas, skills and commitment to their work. She recommended an exchange program with students enrolled in the PVSA program here. Both the African and American students embraced the idea enthusiastically and have started exchanging emails promptly.

The program consists of matching each student in the US with a student of a similar age in Africa. The students in Africa are already enrolled in the Bridge program. The Bridge program (a non governmental organization) selects dedicated and talented students from all over Africa and prepares them for admission in elite schools in the US. These African students bring skills, a rich culture and diversity to any environment they join. Although they speak many languages they are learning English. Therefore this partnership they form with students here will help them develop language skills in an environment of mutual understanding.

Students from the US participating in the program are: Varun and Rohan Ahuja, Toby Schwartz, Millen Srivastava, Sidhu Gehlaut, Eleanore Marwijk van Kooy and Yasoob Raseed

African students in the program are: Jean Ntawanguwe, Claudette Igira, Charlotte Uwimana, Eric Manirakiza, Elias Kagobo, Eric Manirakiza, Emmanuel Gweamee