International Education Week

Photos by Kelsey Rowlson, Lauren Owens, and Emily Huntington

Horizon Reporters

Did you know that in Kenya, the traditional way for a woman to meet her husband is to be ‘kidnapped’ by a group of men and taken to his house? The woman is the only one in the community who doesnt know what is happening. She will only find out when she gets to her husband to-be’s house. Or, did you know that in Pakistan, it is common to marry your cousin?

Students from the Northwest Initiative Multiple Countries Grant presented interesting, not well-known facts about their country throughout the week of November 15-20, which is also known as International Education Week.

“Everybody has their own space and I didn’t know that,” said 

Pelizat Sozer about people in the United States. But that wasn’t the only thing Sozer, an exchange student from Turkey, had to get used to. “In this country everybody uses a lot of e-mail,” she said.

Sozer also said that in her country “they think Americans are too lazy and are like robots.” That wasn’t the case though.

“When I came here, people here are not lazy, they have busy lives.”

Women from Uganda turn recycled paper into colorful necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry.

They are able to make a living from the profits.  For more information or to purchase your own jewelry, visit beadsforlife.org.

Emmanuel Tendoh Mofor (left), Aaron Neba (right), fromCameroon, said that moving to America is a great way to improve life. They said that adapting to the climate was a struggle.

Mohammad Irwan Laming, from Indonesia, wishes Americans thought differently about Islam. “We are peaceful, friendly, and civilized,” he said. Coming to America, he had to get used to the food, weather, lanugage barriers and the  educational environment. People of his country think that Americans are very advanced in technology.

One of Muthia Rahim’s biggest frustrations is that most people cannot pinpoint her country of Indonesia on a map.

“Most Americans know Bali, but don’t know Indonesia.” One of her biggest surprises in America is all the homeless people. Also, coming from a tropical climate, adjusting to the weather was a challenge. She wishes Americans knew that her country is very diverse in culture, having several religions throughout.

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