EDITED BY M. M. ALAM

KARACHI:   U.S. Consul General Brian Heath welcomed home 33 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) students from Sindh and Baluchistan who had just returned from one-year study programs in the United States.

The Consul General also gave his best wishes to 40 students who will soon set off for similar programs in the United States. Speaking on the occasion he said: “The YES program, by connecting Pakistani and American students in an environment that fosters shared experiences and open dialogue, is at the heart of what we try to do through our exchange and cultural programs”.

Brian Heath further held: “There is no better way to promote friendship and understanding than through programs like YES, which allows young Pakistanis to discover more about themselves, the United States, and the world while also serving as ambassadors of Pakistan.”

Maintaining that volunteerism was a big part of the YES program, Brian Heath stated: “We believe that service to one’s community and country is essential to make societies strong. Now, that you have returned home, I hope that you take your experiences and share them with your family and community and that you continue to be active in community service projects here in Pakistan.”

Conspicuous among others at the event  there were  Farah Kamal, executive director, iEARN — the U.S. State Department’s YES program implementing partner in Pakistan, and Acting Public Affairs Officer Li Ping Lo.

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program — funded by the U.S. Department of State — provides scholarships for secondary school students aged 15-17. Students spend up to one academic year in the United States. The U.S. State Department has sponsored the Youth-Exchange Study Program (YES) since 2003.  Through YES, more than 900 Pakistani young people have had the opportunity to spend a year of high school in the United States, living with American families.