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Columbia calling for big-hearted Sarah

July, 23 - 29, 2008
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Gulf Weekly Columbia calling for big-hearted Sarah


STUDENT Sarah Yousif is travelling to South America to offer her helping hands to needy children and their families in crisis-torn Columbia.

She is taking up a two-month long internship with a voluntary group as part of a training programme.

Sarah, 20, from Hamad Town, will be working with the non-governmental organisation Fundacion Nutrir in the small mountainous town of Manizales as an analyst in occupational health.

As a fourth-year student at Ahlia University, Sarah is studying physiotherapy at the Gosi Centre and is planning to put her skills to the test while working with undernourished children from low-income families.

"Manizales is located in the backwaters of Columbia and my parents were initially hesitant in letting me go as they think it is a dangerous place to travel to. But the programme will provide me with an invaluable experience that I'm looking forward to," she said, adding that travelling to Latin America will provide her with a totally different perspective to the world.

Sarah has undergone an extensive interviewing process before being offered the training. She will be expected to work with children and provide a fitness programme for them and will actively help in all aspects of social work.

She will be living with a local family and will have the opportunity to learn Spanish.

"In my first year of university I put in 10 hours per week working at Salmaniya Medical Complex's paediatric ward, which will help me to deal with problems faced by undernourished children.

"I'm planning to organise a typical Bahraini dinner where I will cook for the children and tell them all about Bahrain," said Sarah, who aims to secure a professional physiotherapy licence when she returns.

Sarah, who is half Bahraini and half German, is an active member of the Bahraini chapter of AIESEC and was its president last year. She has attended AIESEC conferences in Poland, Austria and Turkey since becoming its member two years ago.

AIESEC is an international student organisation that actively supports college and university students achieve leadership skills and offers an international platform to them to develop their potential.

It has a presence in 110 countries with 23,000 members around the world and has 40 members, mainly Bahrainis, in the kingdom.

AIESEC Bahrain offers mainly management training programmes to its international members.

Bahrain National Holding (BNH) has sponsored Sarah and colleague Marwa Koheji's trip to Columbia and Brazil respectively.

"We believe that by sending young people on international internships, it enables and encourages a mindset of global leaders and people who have the same mission as they do. It is with this global perspective in mind that we at BNH can understand the importance of cultural diversity and experiences early in life," said Mahmood Al Soufi, CEO of BNH.

"Being part of AIESEC has taught me a lot about my strengths and weakness. I am a more self-aware, focused and ambitious individual now. Also, meeting students from all over the world helps shun stereotypes that one has of that country. Being a representative of Bahrain, I have to be aware of the cultural norms, socio-economic conditions of my country so I can answer the queries posed to me by other AIESEC members on conferences," said Sarah.

Columbia has been ravaged by a decades-long violent conflict involving outlawed armed groups, drug cartels and gross violations of human rights.

The rescue operation to free its former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages captured by the left-wing Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Culombia) made headline news across the world in recent weeks.

Insurgents continue attacks against civilians, and large swathes of the countryside remain under guerilla influence, but the Columbian government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities.







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