Anyone want to host an exchange student from Afghanistan?

>
> Would anyone be interested in hosting one of these high school students from Afghanistan? (See below) If so, please contact Kara Lozier directly.
>
>
>
> While we lobby to defund and end the US war in Afghanistan, supporting education and offering friendship underscores the different path possible – and is a small recompense for the suffering we have caused. . Thanks, cheers, Maud
>
> P.S. – If you have others friends who might be interested, please pass this on, too.
>
> From: Kara Lozier <karalozier@yahoo.com>
>
> Date: April 30, 2010 8:50:13 PM EDT
>
> To: Kara Lozier <karalozier@yahoo.com>
>
> Subject: Host families needed for Afghan high school exchange students
>
>
>
> Dear Friends,
>
>
>
> I am writing in my efforts to find host families for 38 Afghan high school students who are coming to the U.S. on a highly competitive U.S. government funded scholarship program. Their scholarship, Youth Exchange and Study (YES), was created in response to the tragic events of September 11th as a way to promote peace and mutual understanding between the U.S. and countries with a significant Muslim population. In the coming school year, there will be approximately 40 countries and 1,000 students covered by the YES scholarship, but the Afghan students are the ones I feel most passionate about. Of the 70 or so students from nearly 20 countries I have worked with, the Afghan kids are the stars. They are the most motivated and the most grateful. They are the first to sign up for events, the first to volunteer and the ones with the most enthusiasm. They put as much into the experience as they get out of it - so their host families, host schools and host communities benefit immensely.
>
>
>
> These students represent the top 1% of applicants from Afghanistan. These kids really can make a difference when they become members of our community. They teach us so much. They have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, learn about volunteerism, democracy and life in a civil society. They return to Afghanistan after 10 months feeling empowered and begin to apply their new skills at home. Their accomplishments as alumni have been amazing. The program works and I've witnessed the impact it makes in our community and their communities back home.
>
>
>
> The students receive a monthly stipend and have full medical insurance. Host families are expected to treat the students like a member of their family, provide a bedroom (can be shared with a host sibling), three meals a day and a place to study. Families with young children and grown children, single parents, retirees, and every other type of family have been successful hosts. We need some true American heroes to invite one of these teens into their home for one year and into their hearts forever.
>
>
>
> Please let me know if you have any questions and help me to spread the word. I would be most grateful if you could forward this plea to any of your contacts. I hope to hear from you. Here is a link to an online flyer with more basic information.
>
>
>
> http://bridgesofpeaceandunderstanding.blogspot.com/
>
>
>
> Kara Lozier
>
> Community Coordinator / Placement Assistant
>
> (802)823-5006 home
>
> (802)733-7261 cell
>
>
>
>

Wow, this is something I'd really be interested in doing, but currently in an expat in the UK. Just looked up their website and will check it out. For anyone that is interested it's here:
http://www.yesprograms.org/

I hope someone here is able to hoat. What an experience!

To give back something to someone who is feeling the brunt of our wrong headed mission there. I love my President but I hate war of any kind and especially if its like this one is, hell all of them.

Kick and Rec.

:-)