My AFS year in 2005-2006 brought me a lot of happiness and discoveries because of all the good things that I received in life. It sparked within me the passion to pay forward to the next generation whose lives may be similarly touched by their AFS experience. Other AFS alumni and I from our area always wanted to organize ourselves so we could help in AFS activities and start reaching out to our communities by doing volunteer works. Unfortunately, it has been a great struggle for us despite the formal creation of our own AFS chapter. Multitude of questions looms before us, questions on where to start and how to implement the plans that we have. We all know that somehow we need to have the knowledge and skills to start our plans, a next-level training perhaps.

Being chosen as one of the representatives from the Philippines in the Training of Trainers (TOT) 2010 was both an honor and obligation for me. It was an honor because AFS Philippines entrusted me the opportunity to be an ambassador of goodwill from my country one more time. Trusting us with the freedom as we discover greater things let my heart speaks with insurmountable gratitude. It is an obligation as well because I know that I must maximize my learning from the training to share to other alumni when I return. The knowledge and skill that I will reap from TOT should not stop in me, I must pass it to my fellow alumni and from there we can start creating small ripples of change… small ripples, but ripples nonetheless.

TOT 2010 answered many questions that I have in mind. It taught me how I can best gather the alumni from my area and plan out our vision for AFS and our community. It struck me how many different learning styles that our alumni possess and if we can utilize it well, we can create activities that are sure to be successful. I learned many tools on how to create trainings to target different activities of AFS. In starting these different trainings, I learned that I must always set realistic but courageous goals. There are so many learning that I gained which I want to share as we continuously strengthen our chapter.

The best thing I learned perhaps from TOT was that I am never alone in achieving these goals. The other participants of TOT also have the same vision for AFS and their community. Their passion for service is more than an overwhelming thought. They reminded me that we are too young to lose hope in our vision, we are too passionate to be discouraged by the widespread cynicism. They became my inspiration and driving force. As I return to my country and share my learning, I know that there is a handful of other AFS returnee who are doing the same.

TOT is just the start, greater things are bound to happen as we set out in our journey to achieve our goals. It will be hard but it will be worth it. After all, I know that I am never alone.

I am Mazuin Quiachon, an alumna of AFS YES 2006-2007 hosted in Washington, D.C. and currently an incoming junior majoring in International Studies at the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro City.

Since my freshmen year, I ranked first or second at the dean’s list in our college. I am also a staff of the Department of External Affairs of the Central Student Government. But above all, one of the biggest achievements that I have done thus far is being one of the line producers of Hope Channel- Gateway TV 25 in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines network branch.

Hope Channel-Gateway TV 25 is a non-profit, non-commercial TV station that offers programs geared toward leading better lifestyles, health, and spiritual outlook in life. Hope Channel programs are shown through channel 25 (local) and channel 85 (cable). We are also in video streaming at www.hopetvph.com and our live shows can be seen live at http://hopetvph.com/. We are seen in Cagayan de Oro City and some countries over Southeast Asia. Every Saturday and Sunday at 7 pm, Dynamic Youth and Dynamic Living are shown live at the said channels respectively. This is where I render my service as a volunteer but my position is a line producer, and sometimes a producer too.

As an alumni of the AFS YES program, it is a lifetime responsibility for me to build and strengthen bridges of understanding among people of different cultures. Although Hope Channel is run by the community of the Seventh Day Adventist church, it not a secular network. Hence, it welcomes anybody of different religion. I took this opportunity to help promote the programs, mission, and vision of AFS for a better world.

I produced an episode about building the bridges of understanding and promoting peace by the active participation of exchange student programs, specifically the American Field Service (AFS) and other program such as Youth Exchange Study (YES) Program, Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Program and Year Program (YP). I invited AFS YES alumni, a JENESYS alumna, a YP alumna, the host families and the foreign exchange students like Lucas of Germany and Iris and France of Belgium that were currently hosted in Cagayan de Oro City.

Each guest talked about their AFS experiences and their respective programs. As such, many televiewers got interested about the AFS programs. Some were even interested how to apply and avail of the study exchange programs. But the most overwhelming news was that of televiewers asking how to apply in order to host foreign exchange students.

It only proves that media is a powerful tool in promoting the meaningful programs of AFS. Through media-related efforts, many people will be aware and will eventually participate in order to make a difference in the community and in the society as a whole!

Before becoming an AFSer in 2004, I had a simple self-serving idea about life. Back then, I believed that life is like following a routine, in which you get an education, have a stable job, create a happy family, enjoy retirement, and then be duly licensed to croak. However, when I was accepted as an exchange student at the age of 16, things dramatically changed in the way I see things. I realized that there is much more to life than my silly regimen. I was convinced that for me and the other AFSers at least, there is a higher calling or purpose to bridge the gap between countries by promoting peace and intercultural understanding one person at a time. In other words, I interpreted the AFS idea of changing the world to focus on how an act of kindness of one person can be passed along to another and another and so on, while it also cultivates world peace. AFS with its vision of global harmony had had the concept of paying it forward since the time of its conception.

With regard to the idea of paying it forward, I consider the scholarship grant from State Department and AFS as a big pay, for which I am much honored and grateful to accept. Not all students can be afforded such opportunity to study and live abroad. I made sure that my stay in a suburb in Buffalo, New York would be most memorable for me and all those around me. I made sure that I responsibly fulfilled my role as a representative from the Philippines to all the 2,100 students and staff in my high school and 50,000 people in my community. It was my duty to let the student population know what kind of people Filipinos are through my speech and demeanor.

From then, I realized that exchange students truly are ambassadors. Though we may not have an office in Washington D.C., we deliver in promoting cultural understanding among people. In addition, what makes our job even better is that we are not limited to interacting with Americans only. We also have the chance to know people from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, etc. Name it and we probably know somebody from that country. Well, I am just kidding. But the crux of the matter is you will never look at a map like you did before. I did not. There was a face I can now associate to each country, a bit of knowledge associated to the people in that place, and a deeper level of understanding that no map can ever give.

In addition, being ambassadors also sets us in a prime position to initiate paying forward in an international level. The way we talk to other AFSers around the world says so many things about us. In fact, even a simple smile or complement would go a long way in giving yourself and your country a good reflection. It is always a good rule of thumb to be concerned about how we portray ourselves because we would want to make sure that other people would be comfortable with what they see. However, there are some times when we have to admit some painful circumstances that are inconsistent in our goal to portray a positive image of our countries. I, for one, have confessed to the widespread corruption in our government, and the poor living conditions of most families, to name a few. I could have probably sugarcoated or denied these issues but I chose not to because it would not be right for someone like me who has been afforded such a big pay forward exchange a lie. Now that the whole world knows about the societal issues in the Philippines, I felt like I have stripped my country naked to its skin. I cannot recall of any other exchange student in my area recount the problems that plague their people. Little did I know that such honest but painful admission is a pay forward in itself because it got some people thinking of proactive solutions to help.

Randolph’s host mother shares a big hug with Filipino students during her visit

Back in the early summer of 2006, my host mom visited me and my family in the Philippines. A couple weeks before she came, she called to let us know that what I thought to be a simple vacation was to be turned into a very hectic week and a half of outreach and service. I had no idea that a few months prior to her visit, my host mom had been praying and raising money to help the needy in the Philippines. She came with a great infectious anticipation for the fruits of this work that God has placed upon her and my family. In that week and a half, we were able to help an impoverished community in Manila, give hope to the children’s ward in the Philippine General Hospital, empower the music ministry of the San Sebastian College Charismatic Community, and motivate fourth graders of the San Sebastian College Elementary school. Clearly, this was not an ordinary vacation at all.

However, what continues to perplex me is that there are people back in the States who dedicated a part of their time and money to show their concern to complete strangers on the other side of the world. What is more astonishing is that I did not even meet some of these people who helped. This noble cause was welded by their desire to invest in other people’s lives just like what AFS does. And because of through their generous help, we were able to give away a bag full of school supplies for each student in that community; books, entertainment, comfort and, prayers to those who were sick in the children’s ward at PGH; new guitars, songs, and cds to the music ministry of the charismatic community; and books and letters from American fourth graders to the students in San Sebastian, who in fact, have become their pen pals. This is definitely a convincing proof that paying it forward actually works.
But hold it because it does not stop there. Currently, my host mom and my family are sponsoring a cottage in an orphanage called Manila Boys’ Town. The cottage has 15 boys, who used to sleep on bunk beds with no mattresses. In addition, the boys neither had a TV nor a couch. They did not even have nice uniforms to go to school with. The cottage was in great need of repairs. It had tattered screens, rundown walls, and a disgusting bathroom. But with the help of my host family, my family and friends, and a group of students from the University of the Philippines, the 15 boys now live in a more comfortable house that is safe from mosquitoes. The boys now sleep on mattresses. They can now watch TV, sit and chat on the couch, and wear a nice uniform to school. But ultimately, these boys now have a higher self-esteem for themselves because they know that someone cares for them even if they are thousands of miles apart. This life-altering project has inspired me more to continue pressing on what other opportunities my exchange year can afford me. The smile of these kids just gives me so much joy and fulfillment that it makes all my sacrifices very much worth it. And if to be an exchange student means a call to promote peace which then means a privilege to affect lives, I would say that I would never have made a better decision than to board that plane to the United States and stay there for a year.

These stories all happened in a matter of three years since I became an exchange student. It has only been three years and so many people have been involved, so many lives have been changed, and so many hearts have been touched. It has only been three years and a lot have been done, which makes me look forward for the years to come. I hope that this would serve as an encouragement for all, especially AFSers that we may seize opportunities to act kindly towards others because we may never know how far-reaching such act can go.

Hajimemashite! Watashi wa Mahon to iimasu Nihon e jyuu kagetsu kang chyuu ni ryuugaku shimashita. I am Mahon and I spent ten months in Japan as an exchange student.

Animes, castles, geishas, kimonos, Sakuras, sushi, shrines, and temples. For me, Japan is so much more than these things. This is the place that built a big part of me in such a short period of time. Part of my heart will always long for it as my second home.

In the Beginning

It went by so fast. I was with three other exchange students from the Philippines when we arrived at Tokyo International Airport clueless of what will happen next. We had no chaperone. Our flight landed around 7 pm at Japan . I felt a churning feeling in my stomach as I looked out from the window of the airport. It was raining and was freezing cold. I thought to myself, I chose to leave everything in the Philippines for 10 months and am determined to make out the best in the ten months given me to be an ambassador of goodwill. With my hands on the window I shouted, “I’m at Japan !”

We spent a night at Narita Hotel near the airport. The next day, we were divided batch by batch to the three different orientation sites: Nagano , Osaka , and Tokyo . From there, I said my farewells to the three other Filipinas and to my new acquaintances hopeful that we would meet again after ten months.

Everybody in the bus felt anxious. Some were trying to memorize Japanese phrases, some took pictures on the way while some chatted away their time. The major distraction was when we passed by Tokyo Disneyland. During our ten hours travel, I sat beside a Spanish girl who also spoke a little English and French. It was not easy trying to chat with each other but we got to understand each other through mixed English, Japanese, Spanish, and French. When we arrived at Osaka , we immediately fell into our futons (Japanese traditional bed) as everybody got tired from the long hours of sitting in the bus. What happened next was the three days orientation that allowed those who traveled for long hours and even days for some to relax a bit before we were sent off to our host families. We had a lot of activities and games that oriented and prepared us further for the challenges ahead of us. It also allowed us to bond with the different nationalities from across the globe. At the end of a freezingly exciting day, we would always look forward to relax in the hot public bathe. Although we were all foreigners, we were required to do it in the Japanese way stripping everything off. It was awkward at first but we got over it as we dipped into the hot water and reflected upon many things that transpired through the day. On the third day, I rode a train to my host community with two other exchange students from America and Indonesia whose places were beside mine. Our liaison person met us in the train two stations before our stops.

As I stepped out from the train to meet my host community, the Sakuras welcomed me with their beautiful atmosphere that transformed almost everything to pink and white.

My Host Community

Gobo Shi, my host community, is one of the smallest cities in Japan . It is located at the eastern side of the country one hour away by car to Osaka . The population and the geographical boundary are too small that I could bike around it for a whole day. Coming from a big city like Makati , it was very different to me. To add to that everything around was in Japanese, the signs, signals, and even announcements. It took me time to adjust to the daily local announcements that woke me up early everyday. It was very rare to find a person who could fluently speak in English and they were usually foreigners whose population can be counted by the fingers in my hands. Thus, it was very easy for me to learn Japanese.

Rural as the Japanese people may call it, the place is highly industrialized. And as it is still a part of Japan it is technologically advanced. Even its public toilets are automatic. All the roads are well cemented, the traffic system organized, and the laws well-implemented. To add to that, it is virtually clean everywhere. The people are so strict to the obedience of the rules. I consider myself lucky because the Japanese traditions in this place are still alive and active as it embraced globalization. Even in fast food restaurants like Mc Donald’s, you have to clean your mess after eating.

My Host Family

I lived with a host family who owned an agricultural farm. It has been the family business from a long line of ancestry. Their main product was strawberries. Although it yields during late winter to early spring, the planting would take a whole year. In summer, they produced negi, the leaf of the onions that is used as a spice in the washoku or the Japanese cusine. They also had watermelons and melons in this season. And during fall, they had oranges. It was a tasty year.

I had a host mom and dad who really treated me as a daughter as their children lived far away most of the year. My eldest host sister is permanently staying at Osaka and comes back home only during Obon, a time when the spirits of their ancestors come back to the house, and during Ganjitsu (the New Year) where a lot of ceremonies are done. She had also been on an exchange student program to Indiana when she was in senior high school. The one who followed her works at Wakayaama City and when she is at home during the weekends, she is usually out with her friends. The youngest is studying engineering at a university in Tokyo and comes home during Obon, Ganjitsu, and semestral breaks. The grandparents from my host father’s side resides with them .They are both healthy and well still helping in the farming. Although they were most of the times busy, we find time to bond with each other during different activities when my host mom calls for them when we go to trips around the prefecture.

My Host School

I attended Hidaka Koukou as a second year second high school student. Nevertheless, I was given a choice to try a variety of classes from the first to third years. This way, I met and mingled with a lot of students. I attended classes in Science, English, Mathematics, PE, the Classics, and Japanese Literature all in Japanese. It was not easy but my teachers and friends helped me. I had some few free hours that I spent in the library where some volunteer teachers would come to help me learn Japanese.

I usually woke up 7 o’clock in the morning to prepare to school. My host mom would have my obento, the Japanese lunchbox, already cooked when I went to the kitchen. I just had to put everything into the lunchbox. But even that was not easy. Making an obento required skills as it had to be done with art. My host mom helped me learn this in my first few days and after wards left me to discover my own creativity. Everybody was usually up early in the morning and already in the farm working so I had to prepare my own breakfast. Then, I ride on my bike through the mountainous track to school taking 20 minutes. Classes will start at 8:30 am and will end at 3 pm. Students belonging to different clubs will then hurry off to prepare for their activities of the day.

I decided to join Kyudo Club, the Japanese archery, because of my cultural reasons. Considered as a first year, I should get to the dojo or the practice area as early as I can to do the necessary preparations before we practice. The joshi or the girls has to maintain the cleanliness of the dojo while the danshi or the boys are to take care of the shooting set up- the mato or the target, the yumi to ya or the bows and the arrows- plus the other Herculean tasks. Besides these, we have a lot of regular and irregular activities all throughout the year. Practice attendance is really strict as they consider it as important as their academic lessons.

The sempai­ or the seniority system is still very prevalent. The older members are treated with utmost respect but they carry the responsibility of teaching the younger members whatever they know. Nevertheless, the learning process in the club is a mutual process. There is a sensei or adviser overseeing all the activities done in the club. They act as the parents in the club who does not only encourage the students to persevere in the club activities but also in their studies.

We finish our weekday practices around 7 o’clock. But we have to put back everything that we have set up. We also have to change back to our school uniforms as there is an appropriate set of clothes in practicing kyudo. I could go back home at around 8 o’clock pm. During weekends and holidays, our practices start at 8 o’clock am but we must be there by seven for the preparations. We do more ceremonies during these days. Through the Way of the Bow, I learned a lot about the beautiful culture of the Japanese heart. It was a long arduous process. There were so many times that my strength failed me but I chose not to give up. In the end, my perseverance bore fruit as I earned a place in the last inter-school competition that I attended. After all the struggles that I went through, it was one of my happiest moments.

And as the Journey Ended it Began

I discovered so many things in Japan as I traveled its different parts during the different seasons with my friends. I learned to mingle with people from a variety of culture. I learned to be accountable in the decisions that I make and face its consequences. I learned a lot about myself and developed far more than what I have perceived. It taught me my weaknesses and helped me strengthened my strengths. I learned how to discipline and control myself especially in time management. It has widened my horizon. I became more aware of the global community and my responsibility as a youth to take part in the different worldwide issues governing it. It taught how grow out from a nutshell and desire to soar higher. AFS Japan with the ASEAN scholarship gave me a chance to explore far beyond what my eyes can see. I can never repay the keys that AFS Japan has given me to unlock more doors for my future.

Going back home was painful. I took a lot of pictures of the people, places, and things that I have loved there. I wrote letters and left gift of thanks to the people who helped me during my stay. It was hard to part from a life that made up a big part of you. But as for everything there is a season and as all things must pass, I learned the word “acceptance”. I underwent a big change in that ten wonderful months and I will never be the same.

It was and still is an exciting roller coaster ride of twists and turns giving me one heck of a ride! Matta saigo made gambarimasu!

For almost one year I left my cold and rainy home country, Belgium, to live with Bernard and Loida Mayo in Batangas City, Philippines.

On AFS orientation weekends in Belgium they taught me not to take my whole life to my host country but how to start all over again. It is not always easy just to forget about everything you learned in your own country. After all, parents and teachers tried their best for more than eighteen years to teach me basic norms and values of Belgian life. So imagine how hard it is to let go of that and learn a whole new set of norms and values in less than a year! Fortunately I was not on my own in the whole adjusting process. I had my host parents who helped me explore this new culture!

Before I went to the Philippines, I tried to have no expectations at all about my host family. That way, I could only be pleasantly surprised. But I could never have imagined it would be such a nice surprise! The Mayos are always smiling, happy and relaxed. And it was like they were just my age. I couldn’t tell them anything about the latest trends in fashion or technology like I did with my parents in Belgium. These Mayos, they would rather tell me those things. My parents in Belgium are great and I love them very much, but honestly… I never imagined parents could be this cool!

Soon I realised “The Mayos” are more than just my host parents. There is a whole family tree attached to them. There are grandparents (Tatay and Inay), Titas, Titos, nieces and nephews too – and they all lived in the same compound! This was really new for me. In Belgium I see my extended family only once a month, but my Mayo family was there every day! It is great to have them around all the time. They all made me a part of the family.

My host family gave me the opportunity to learn about the Philippines. They took me to places all around the country. But I learned most about the culture, the people and the family life because they involved me in regular family activities, otherwise I would never have been a part of the Mayo family.

People say: “You can choose your friends, but you can not choose your family.” And for almost everybody this is true. But when you are part of a host family, you have to do your best to be a part of it because they can always say: “It has been enough. We‘ll send you to another family now!” But my host family didn’t do that, so maybe I’m not that bad after all! Or it can also mean that they really saw me as a part of their family – something you cannot just throw away.

That’s what family is. Family belongs together and nobody can break that bond!

By Ridwan Landasan,
AFS-YES 2005-2006
Texas, USA

No amount of words could ever define how grateful and exultant I was to be chosen as the youth alumni representative from the millennium batch of AFS-YES Philippines to attend the most fabulous and glamorous 60th Anniversary of AFS and be one of the 2007 International Youth Host committee. The said event actually took place in the magnificent city of New York Oct. 26-28, 2007, with the theme “60 Years of Excellence in International Exchanges.”

Indeed, it was such a great prestige and privilege on my part to be given another wonderful opportunity to go back to the US, my former host country, even just for a couple of days, after almost two years of exchange study. But this time, I went not as a foreign exchange student who was shy and timid to step up to the world, but as a young ambassador oozing with confidence and determination who was ready to represent the AFS-YES chapter of my country, the Philippines, on a whole new level.

There were actually six of us alumni and alumna of the YES Program from the different countries who were invited to participate in the AFS 60th Anniversary Weekend and the International Youth Host committee Meeting: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, Turkey, Malaysia, and from the Philippines. We also welcomed two additional participants from the US for the weekend. They were alumna of the 2007 Global Youth Leadership Program to Egypt, where they collaborated with the YES year-program from the MIddle East region.

Our first day started with a YES Alumni Meeting at the AFS-USA office where we built an atmosphere of teamwork as we interactively discussed about the importance of networking, developing a selection process and criteria for selecting alumni for future events, formation of an International Alumni Association, and other related things.

Afterwards, the overwhelming and entertaining welcome reception was the next kickoff. We were given the chance to meet and mingle with currently hosted participants, recent returnees, and AFS staff and volunteers. It also served as our moment of reconnection, socialization and sharing of stories. Then, we headed over to the Staten Island for a free boat ride passing the great Statue of Liberty. It also gave us the opportunity to see the best spots of lower Manhattan at night.

On the next day, we the members of the International Youth host Committee, went to Columbia University to help organize and set-up the venue for the World Peace Forum; a forum which featured honorable guests, keynote speakers and panelists to tackle themes pertinent and tantamount to peace promotion, international diplomacy, and the growing importance of intercultural exchange as a great instrument to advance a wider global understanding. It was just so fulfilling to see that we were actually part of one of the most remarkable peace forums of all time. It was indeed a great accomplishment on our part. Meeting some noted personalities in that event and interacting with people from the different corners of the world was one of the highlights of our experiences in the Big Apple

After the international program, my colleagues and I walked through the spectacular Central Park to get to the most phenomenal museum of NYC, Metropolitan Museum of Art, where we saw the one-of-a-kind masterpieces of the Greats: Picasso, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Monet, Da Vinci, and the like. It was so impressive. Three hours of touring around that great museum is not enough to really appreciate its historic beauty.

On our last day, a trip to the historic Ellis Island was our morning kickoff. When we were on board the ferry bound for the Island, we just couldn’t help but to keep on taking pictures of the Big Apple and Statue of liberty at different angles. We never stood still. We enjoyed every moment of our ride. Wow! It was so amazing!

Upon arrival to Ellis Island, we went inside the museum as a group and dispersed after a few moments because there were really a lot of things to see and explore. So our chaperon, an AFS facilitator, allowed us to roam around in any way we wanted. The atmosphere of the museum actually reminded me of my American History class back when I was an exchange student. I could really relate to what I was seeing.

And finally, after our fantastic trip to Ellis Island, we went back to the Roosevelt Hotel for the Closing Ceremony of AFS 60th Anniversary Weekend. All the members of 2007 IYHC were actually part of the closing program. We even presented a grand production number where we, at the last part of our presentation, sang the AFS theme song entitled “Walk Together, Talk Together.” We also gave a Thank You message to Mr. Alex Plinio, the out-going President of AFS-USA, for devoting his time and effort to prosper the AFS Intercultural programs.

Before the official commencement of the World Congress, which was attended by the elected officers of the different AFS partner countries, the program conducted its casual ” Meet and Mingle” activity for the 2007 IYHC and some other AFS guests. Each and every alumni was given the chance to talk about his/her experiences so far in the anniversary and what’s now going on in his/her country in relation to AFS. It was fruitfully interactive.

On behalf of the 2007 IYHC participants and the AFS-YES Philippines, I would like to thank AFS and YES from the deepest chamber of my heart for making my stay in the Big Apple a very educational and recreational one. I am so overwhelmed. What more could I ask for?! If I will be given the chance and power to repeat one weekend in my life, that would be AFS 60th Anniversary Weekend. Believe me, that occasion has served as a way to dovetail our minds, reconcile our hearts, fortify our faith, and rekindle our hopes, dreams, aspirations, and optimisms.

AFS, once again, I thank you. You, the people behind this generous program, are part of my success, and even of my life. Really, even if I conceal myself behind the Great Wall of China or inside the magnificent Pyramid of Egypt, still I cannot escape from this commotion surrounding me now. The noise will really never hush. It will always be there to irritate and penetrate my serene life. My only option to free myself from the imprisonment of this annoying confusion is to get out there and face this competitive and ever-changing society. And AFS/YES gives me the courage and confidence to do it. It molds me into a fully-equipped individual capable of coping with the challenges of today. AFS has formed me into the person I am now.

VIVA AFS! MABUHAY!

Published in the YES Programs website, www.yesprograms.org