2023-06-03 05:46:02
Par Simon Lenormand
Published on
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She left Dayton, Ohio (United States), to put her suitcases in Gauville-la-Campagne, near Évreux (Eure). Since September 2022 and until July 2023, Aamah16, shares the daily life of a Norman family and continues her education at the Modeste-Leroy high school in Évreux.
“The choice of France was logical for me, because I had been studying the language for two years”, explains the young American, in now impeccable French. She had been pursuing this international exchange project for a long time. ” My father was once morest the fact that I’m gone for so long at my age. I worked all summer to pay for my trip and he understood that I was not joking. So he changed his mind! »
On her arrival at Évreux station, she was greeted by a couple from Gauville-la-Campagne, David and Vanessa Marie. As a volunteer host family, they joined the association’s exchange program at the end of 2021. AFS Living without borders. “Initially, Vanessa wanted to welcome a young foreigner so that our 7 and 11-year-old daughters might develop their English,” says Damien. Vanessa understands English well and I speak it, so we complement each other! But the goal is that the teenagers welcomed speak French at most. So, following two receptions, our daughters still don’t speak English…” laughs Damien.
Tour de France
During the year, the Marie family takes Aamah to discover the French territory and culture. “We visited Mont-Saint-Michel, Étretat, Honfleur, La Rochelle, the island of Oléron, Paris… lists the father of the family. It’s great, because it allows us to rediscover our region. »
From these excursions, the young American remembers above all “architecture”. “I find the buildings really pretty in France, with a lot of variety between cities. I loved the food too, especially the raclette and cheese! »
But it wasn’t all that simple for Aamah. “When I arrived, people were all very nice to me, but I wasn’t comfortable with the language,” she recalls. It took me three months to adapt. And the American high school student has managed to find her place in the Ebroïcien high school. “All my friends are French. Here, young people smoke a lot more, she observes. I was surprised to see how the French were curious regarding the United States, they asked me a lot of questions like “is high school like in the series? » »
The relationship between students and teachers is also different. ” There is more distance here. In the United States, we eat with them and we do not hesitate to go see them to ask them questions. There, we finish classes at 3 p.m. Here, it’s 6 p.m., and we have a lot of holes in the schedule,” Aamah seems to regret.
“No motor vehicle, no hitchhiking, no drugs”
Within the family, cultural differences can lead to difficulties. “Dialogue is essential as soon as we feel that there is a misunderstanding,” says Vanessa. “We have to act as we would act with our own daughter, adds Damien. And respect the three basic rules from the AFS: no motor vehicle, no hitchhiking, no drugs. »
In any case, Vanessa Marie assures him, following this exchange, “it will be over”. Following the departure of the Latvian high school student they hosted last year, Vanessa confides that she “cried for a week”. ” Emotionally it’s too complicated, adds her husband. It’s harder for us because Aamah will be reunited with her family and friends. For us, there will only be a void…”
But the story might only be just beginning, since the Marie family will be going to Latvia in July to visit Nora, welcomed last year. “And we have already planned to go visit Aamah, in the United States, in two years ! »
AFS is looking for families
“We currently have 300 requests for reception in France, for young people from around fifty countries”, explains Audrey Esteoule, reception and departure coordinator for AFS Vive sans frontières. 118 have already been placed, including one in the Eure, where the association would like to “find 5 or 6 additional host families”. Concretely, families apply and receive a visit from a member of the association, who checks that “the conditions are met to welcome the young person” and offers them “profiles compatible with their way of life”. It should be noted that the association only bears the costs of the canteen and school transport. Contact : [email protected]
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