Remon Mikhael in Gliwice, Poland

Deciding to go on a second exchange within the same year, that witnessed my first experience with AIESEC in Russia, was shocking to, even, me. The amount of knowledge, benefits, diversity and experience I have gained through the previous one was really encouraging to go on another.

I hit Poland this time, and my internship took place in a nice city called Gliwice with AIESEC Katowice UE. It was a perfect choice. Not only did I enjoy it to the fullest, but also I got new attributes and skills, that believe will be helpful later on in my life

Activating leadership, enjoying participation and acting sustainably are some of the core values of AIESEC and through my internship I had the opportunity to practice them all through actions.

                                         

My project involved teaching kindergarten kids, who are 2-4 years old, basic English with the help of games and music.

My goodness!! I have never imagined myself doing this before, and by this I mean dealing with very small and young kids, taking care of them and babysitting them, I would say angels.

It was hard indeed at the beginning to the level that I thought of quitting but eventually everything was changed as I fell in love with the kids and the place. The challenging part was in developing ways to facilitate communicating with them, bearing in mind the language barrier and some of them even could not say a word because of their age.

The kindergarten teachers believed in me so much and they have been asking me every day to teach them (the teachers) English, help them in grammatical issues and to present something new about my culture. The teaching part was not all of it however, the most exciting moments were when we were playing, dancing and singing.Those angels taught me tolerance, patience, smiling, and creativity.

Also I had a cross-task and it was about working in a primary school for a week. That week was the funniest ever for me in Poland. Me the pupils became friends in almost no time, I worked with a Georgian Intern. Using my very recent experience I got from being with kindergarten kids helped me a lot and I totally now believe that smiling and being cheerful are the ways to successfully build good relationships with others, no matter what your cultural background is or what language you speak.

We had so much fun doing AIESEC roll calls and dances: Tunak Tunak, Gangnam style, Moves like a jagger :D

AIESECers there are so nice, (Polish people in general are awesome) they asked me to help them in their recruitment campaign and Interviews:D. 

I had another experience and opportunity of getting closer to Polish students and Interns, asking and interviewing them. We also attended a global village and it was a perfect chance to clear up some stereotypes about Egypt.

Last of all, I believe I could have done better if I had been enough prepared, yet I am satisfied with what I have done and learnt a lot in general. Poland is a favorable place to my heart and I do not mind do it again.

One more thing that should be mentioned which is being an AIESECer gave me more confidence and doubled my responsibility in a way that I could bear some cultural issues or tiny problems that happened to show up during my stay.

I was able to represent myself, my LC, my country in a proper way.  #Courtesy of AIESEC C.U.

"Wait for my coming Exchange"

Yara Mostafa Kamal in Szczecin, Poland

I've been on a GCDP internship in Szczecin, Poland from 10th of July to 31st of August where I worked in 3 kindergartens (Promyk, Fantazja, and Nutka) and two Foundations (one for poor children, and an orphanage -or a student house as they call it). 

 In general, I would teach the children basic English; using songs, flash cards, games including team work and challenges, and I would share the Egyptian culture and traditions. They all expressed quite a big interest in the "Egyptian" way of life and history. I showed them a brief presentation on the era of the pharaohs which surprisingly they knew much about it –even though they are 5 years old- I later learned that Egypt is very popular in Poland and that it is one of the easiest and favorite places for a polish person to travel to.

The program I joined was successful in ways and unsuccessful in others: since this is a "global development program" I didn’t notice much development working in kindergartens because they were all rich and the children there did not need anyone new or from another country, however, in the foundations for children with certain conditions like being poor or autistic or having ADHD or with parents who abandoned them, it was a whole different thing. 

It is such an amazing feeling to know that just being there with the children, playing and showing them new stuff that they didn’t know of before. I had the best time of my life staying with the kids at the orphanage; I felt I was doing some change.

Besides the volunteer work, all the fun and parties start in the afternoons and weekends. Although I'm not much of a party person and haven’t attended that much parties, I had a blast enjoying the music, listening to the impossibly hard language without understanding a thing, and just communicating with all the different people -AIESECers of SZCZECIN- who had a party almost every day and a monthly party playing bowling and billiard. I've also met amazing Polish people who were working in the kindergartens and foundations. I got invited to their homes, shared their food, traditions, and their experiences. Every weekend, I would travel to a different city in Poland, visiting museums and famous landmarks, going into forests, swimming in lakes or to just chilling on the shore of the Baltic sea. I've been to Międzyzdroje, Sopot, Gdańsk, and Poznan.

What is more special in this internship for me is that it was a first for me, everything I did was new, and fresh. So with happy memories, crazy moments, and an awesome Ukrainian friend, who I'm still in touch with, I'm SO willing to go through the AIESEC experience all over again in a new place with new people to build an empire of international friendships and experiences. 

Ahmed Zaid in Novosibirsk, Russia

Russia! Woooow....Moscow or Saint Petersburg?

Novosibirsk, Siberia 

Siberia!!!! Are you crazy?!!!

Yes!! 

This was my conversation with my friends after I decided to go to Novosibirsk.

To be honest it was not that easy for me, going to another part of the world where all I know about is the stereotypes of the fields of snow, alcohol, the famous and scary Siberian prisons and nothing interesting at all. But for me that was the real experience and I didn’t regret it. 

When I arrived in Novosibirsk, I saw how beautiful this city is! The streets , the landscapes , the buildings and of course the beautiful people specially the Russian ladies with their beautiful dresses, all of that makes you feel like you are walking in a piece of the heaven. 

I had a chance to be within an amazing team which consists of my amazing colleagues from different nationalities. Whatever I say about them, would not be enough. We benefited from each other’s experience and everyone was helping one another to develop and to get as much as they can from this amazing experience.

My project was to set a development program to the children who need special care in order to increase their awareness and knowledge about life and what is going around them in the world, also to be introduced to new people and cultures. And I was really excited about it as I had the chance to work with children for the first time and to be a part of their simple and beautiful life.

THANK YOU AIESEC for giving me the chance to live this unique experience of my life <3 <3

Mariem Ibrahim in Vizag, India

Travelling abroad alone for the first time was an impossible idea but with AIESECI DID it. It was the greatest experience ever, even it had lots of ups and downs but still I got the chance to travel to India (bollywood) the country that I am in love with. First thing I faced was missing my domestic flight which was super funny for me :D:D Once I stepped into India, I found myself in Egypt but with the Indian touch!!!! I'm in a dreaaaam :D There is something in common when it comes to the way they talk and move, but with some differences in the facial expressions.. just like the movies.

Suddenly, I realized that I am really facing the greatest thing ever; The true meaning of friendship, love and family. I had families from all over the world, not only from Egypt and India.

My first hours in Vizag, after staying nearly 12 days in Hyderabad, was the most pleasant experience ever, as I got to be friends with everyone only in few hours..the sweetest friends I have met and will ever meet in my entire life. The interns from different countries, whom I was with, became like my real brothers and sisters thatI will never forget.

The rumor about indian food being the spiciest is true, especially in “Vizag” , the city I was in ;) I am not used to eating spicy food, but What can I do? I just had to !

The idea of being independent helped me understand the world around me and traveling with AIESEC is a chance which everyone has to seize. You will have the chance to develop yourself, your mentality, your friendship, and you will get to know new cultures and finally find out about the real reason of your existence.

Even if I went to india on my own in the future, it won’t be like my experience with AIESEC because AIESEC helped me fulfill my need of self recognition.

Thank you AIESEC for everything <3

Khaled Safwat in Genova, Italy

"It’s not about the place it’s about the people"

The fact that it has been 2 months since I came back from genoa is a thing I can’t believe. It was an AMAZING experience. You can say “it was an aiesec life changing experience “

It all started the first day I arrived at Genoa. Where I found that you meet a group of people and by the end of the day you become close friends, even though this happened numerous times, still, is a mystery to me.  A very interesting thing that I discovered about aisecers is, once you tell them you are an AIESECer …you feel that the become a part of your family …I have met people, talked to them and knew every detail about their life in a single day and never met them again …. Friendly doesn’t even begin to explain it ..you can call them “family material “ ..

Genoa!  What can I say!  One of the most beautiful places I have ever been …the sea, the weather, the food and of course, the people. Although they speak a different language than yours, yet, you feel they are so familiar, speaking to your heart, passing over the language and cultural barriers …the thing is, The AIESEC experience make you see places from a different angle .. You go to new places with new people that you just met. And at the end of the journey, you relate to both the people who you start calling family and the place that you start calling home.

I have been a part of the project “social business challenge “which aims to collect money  for  mothers and children of south Africa with an NGO called CESVI …it was an amazing  experience knowing that you are working and at the end you will help change someone’s life.

It is said that travelling enriches your life …travelling with AIESEC is more than that.. it can change your life and sometimes others …in Italy I met people from different cultures, with different ideas and beliefs yet, at the end of the journey I called them family …I found out that it’s not about our differences… what joins us is much bigger and stronger …I will never forget the days we spent homeless on the beaches of genoa, and i will always remember going through the streets at 2 am in the morning singing and having fun …. The thing is.. even if I go to Italy again ..it will never be the same cause every memory I had there  is related  to the people I have been with  … travelling with AIESEC opens your mind and allows you to get to know different cultures …It makes you see the world with different perspectives …you learn to change and accept change ..I can say that my life will never be the same after this !!

                                                 

Thank you AIESEC.

Menna El Ayady in New Delhi, India

I believe that an AIESEC internship is a great opportunity that is dreamed of by several students. Learning about different cultures has always been a great interest to me.

Going on this internship to India with AIESEC CAIRO UNIVERSITY was a wonderful experience that helped me to enhance my communication skills and overcome all the challenges I usually face, which is very difficult to attain elsewhere. 

Spending 7 weeks in India was the main reason for meeting a lot of new people and destroy all the language barriers. I’ve lived culture diversity with interns from all over the world.