An AFS Experience

The American Field Services or AFS provides intercultural learning experiences that brings global cultures together by helping people connect, transforming the lives of thousands of students, families, and individuals every year. With exchange programs in more than 50 countries and a large network of volunteers, educators, and staff, AFS is committed to helping participants understand their immersion experiences in a foreign culture, says the website www.afs.org.

In the Philippines, particularly here in General Santos City, the AFS is headed by the energetic social worker Ma'am Jang Odoya.  She is the one who is in-charged when it comes to hosting AFS student or volunteer.  Also when a Filipino student wishes to travel, stay and study abroad via AFS, she is one of the persons who would sit in the selection process.

Fortunately, Ma'am Jang is one of the social workers in my court of assignment.  She asked me if I would be interested to host a foreign student.  The idea was suddenly approved by my wife considering that it would be our first time to host any foreign blood individual.  The idea of speaking to a foreigner excites us already, the more so if he or she is living with us for a period of 10 months.

But to be a foster family, is not that easy as eating the icing of the cake.  Your application shall be evaluated after considering into the welfare of the exchange student.  Anyway, our application was approved.

Last May 2013, we were informed already that our foster daughter is Camille Prudent, an 18-year old student of Troyes, France.  Days after we got her contact information, we then added her in our Facebook account and started to exchange some thoughts.  One of her concerns was something to a peace and order here in General Santos City because there were negative things her parents have read and heard about our place. After giving her an assurance that while it is true that there are some isolated security problems in some part of the country especially in Mindanao, but General Santos is relatively a safe place to stay.

Exactly on July 23, 2013, this year's batch of AFS scholars touched down in the airport of General Santos City.  There are 13 AFS scholars who are from Sweden, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Thailand and Dominican Republic.  See, it seems these scholars are candidates in a Miss Universe pageant.  They are of different races, colors and cultures.

The AFS scholars stroke a pose at the arrival area of the airport of General Santos City.

After the arrival, the AFS scholars are welcome by the students, faculty members and staff members of Mindanao State University (MSU) - General Santos City High School Campus.  It was no less than the YouTube sensation and Ellen DeGeneres show guest star Aldrich Lloyd Talonding who serenaded them.

YouTube sensation Aldrich Lloyd Talonding sang and serenaded the AFS scholars.

After the short welcome program, the scholars together with their respective foster family bonded for the first time.  We brought our foster daughter Camille in the famous chicken inasal barbecue here in the city with matching unlimited rice.  Of course our daughter Camille was in awe upon tasting the chicken inasal for the first time.  She never imagined before she could have tasted such delicacy.

Our foster daughter is a second year college student.  She is enrolled as an exchange student of Holy Trinity College here in the city.  Some of the scholars are studying in MSU-GSC.  While the volunteer AFS are based in a marketplace for educating street children.

Our Gwen and her Ate Camille who is in school uniform.

Immersion is also one of the purposes of the AFS.  The students are expected to have an understanding of what life in the Philippines is.  In fact according to them, it seems that they are indeed living in the other part of the world.  While some of them are dying to have a tan color, they could not just find any lotion, soap or other beauty products that suit them because all of these products have whitening ingredients.  While we use umbrellas to protect us under the scorching heat of the sun, they do not use any protection at all.  For them, umbrellas are only for rainy season and not for dry season.  Although we love going to the beaches, we do not want to stay for hours under the heat of the sun.  But these people will stay in the beaches not only for hours but for the whole day under the sun.

In one of the gatherings of AFS here, most of the scholars bragged to each other on what things or creatures they have seen for the first time.  Accordingly, it is their first time to see cockroaches, mosquitoes, spiders, tuko or geckos, lizards or butiki and mice.  Sorry for our famous durian fruit because they could not just take to taste it even the flavored durian candies.

These students are very particular in time.  When it says to have a meeting at 6:00, they would come ahead of the schedule.  Well, it was only true during their few days here.   They have been influenced by our so-called Filipino time.  Considering that there was no an instance that our meeting starts on the dot, these students have somewhat learned their lessons.  In fact, when our AFS in-charge would ask for any gathering, these students would ask if it is Filipino time or European time.

Our daughters' pose in the rice field of Digos City.

We still have months to go before this program culminates this May 2014.  We still have a lot of ventures and adventures to share. 

I will just update soon my blog.