students as part of the Poster Making Compeon (Member School Calendar Acvity . Cheers to the students who made this happen! In our YES Impact Stories secon, read the stories of Divya Ramavath and Neha Sharma. Divya says, "YES program changed me so much in one year

My Exchange Experience By Divya Ramavath, YES Alumna, Hyderabad

Alumni Impact

“From my childhood, I have gone through lots of hard work. I come from a middle class and agricultural family. I studied my school in my own Language unl my 5th class, aer that I shied into English medium school. It is so hard for my family to pay my school fee. Even though I completed my 10th grade. On weekends, I go to field work to help my parents.

I am interested in sports, I love to play volleyball, my teachers saw how interested I am in volleyball, then I played volleyball at state level. And also, I really like to play kabaddi games but as a girl no one gave me permission to play kabaddi game. The society that I am living with doesn't give the same importance to girls and boys. Every work that I will do has lots of restricons and formalies.

I completed my 10th grade and I got an opportunity from YES (Youth Exchange and Study). This program has had lots of impact on my life. When I was starng this program each and every person was thinking that I am not gonna do this program and every one discouraged me. But when I explained about this YES program they got a hope on this program.

KL YES program changed me so much in one year, there are lots of inspiraonal stories and lots of hard work behind each and every person who is working for YES. I got freedom with this program. When I completed this program I got an identy in my society. Now, I am implemenng some work that I did in the USA. Giving movaon to girls and their parents to come forward and let them do their work.

My goal is to become a police officer. For this I am facing lots of problems. But I am preparing strong for my goal. I am studying lot's of inspiraonal stories of IAS, IPS officers. I am going through civil classes and trying to go to training for police service. Whatever happens but I am not gonna leave my goal and ambion in my life. Thank you so much for your inspiraonal words and movaonal stories. ” “Being a media graduate, social media and markeng has been my profile for the longest me but the pressing social issues around India and around the world have always hovered my mind. I have worked relessly with NGOs around India but the itch to do something bigger has always been there. As a YES alumni, my perspecve on issues has been global, I wanted to bring about a change (or atleast work towards it) so as to have a global reach. I had come to an understanding that all the issues in the world are the same, degree and magnitude varies. Issues like, poverty, water crisis, public health, women safety, biodiversity, crime against children, war and the biggest and the most pressing concern CLIMATE CHANGE. Climate change affects all of us. No maer which country or which strata of economy one belongs to. Thanks to the AFS-YES exchange programs, I was exposed to varying global perspecves at an early age which engrained the philosophy of being a global cizen and working towards protecng the Earth and humanity. And, today I have made a film- Voyage For Change. A global documentary from the perspecve of children on the issues of sustainability, soluons and climate change. It has taken more than 3 years to bring this film together and it has travelled to France, Japan, India and California. The film is set to release in 2021.

First me in the history of human civilizaon children have to strike and march all over the world to protect their future and the future of all life on Earth. “Voyage for change ” is part of this collecve movement of children. This is not merely a film but also a film acvism campaign aimed at transforming the current prevailing narrave from “the world in crisis” to “soluons for a sustainable world”.

The documentary explores the challenges of today's world and the sustainable soluons through the eyes of children from three connents. In a subtle manner the film hopes for planng seeds of change in the minds of children and parents of the world. What makes the film a compelling viewing experience is the candid conversaons between the children and commied and inspiring humans such as Shilpi Chhotray, Andrew, luke Julia, Michale. Interrelated and interseconality between the issues such as Climate Change, protecng forests, sustainable energy, sustainable farming, sustainable food, sustainable architecture, sustainable travel, social injusce, parcipave democracy, fake news and more fall under the umbrella of this project.”