My AFS journey has been quite long, spanning over a decade now. It all began when our daughter, Anishaa, was selected to participate in the AFS Jenesys Year Program in Japan. During her selection process, I was introduced to the volunteers. I also attended a local AFS celebration event in Bangalore, where I met enthusiastic volunteers of various ages, all deeply involved in the activities. Their zest for life intrigued me, and I wanted to learn more about them.
This led us to host our first exchange program student after Anishaa’s return. Our host daughter, Valentina, was a charming student from Italy and turned out to be a delightful addition to our family. It was a joyous and enriching learning experience. From then on, there was no turning back.
I have hosted many cultural exchange participants, children and adults alike, both for long-term and short-term programs. I have cherished every exchange experience. Due to my active involvement with the AFS community, I was nominated as President of the Bangalore Chapter. Leading the Chapter was like riding a roller coaster for four eventful years. There were highs of seeing things go smoothly, followed by lows of dealing with challenges such as exchange student issues, host family conflicts, and various health and safety concerns.
There have been many interesting, frustrating, humorous, and heart warming moments—a mixed bag of emotions that have helped me evolve into a more empathetic and capable person. It taught me that learning is a lifelong process.
Heading a voluntary organization isn’t easy. Motivating volunteers who don’t work for monetary rewards requires intrinsic motivation. Ensuring everyone feels included and valued was a significant learning curve for me. I’m grateful for the inspiration and guidance provided by our Chairperson, Angela Roye, as well as the unwavering support of all the volunteers in our Chapter and the staff members at the National Office, past and present.While being recognized as the first “Outstanding Volunteer from India at AAI” and the “Best Volunteer of South India” were certainly highlights, the true essence of my AFS journey lies in the love and sense of belonging shared by volunteers and exchange students from all over. Truly, AFS is my other family!
“The true essence of my AFS journey lies in the love and sense of belonging shared by volunteers and exchange students from all over.”