Kenyans are among the 850 students still undertaking classes in Israel despite the ongoing war between the country and Palestine....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The students are undertaking an 11-month agricultural program offered by the Arava International Center for Agricultural Training (AICAT). They are required to pay Ksh393,000 (USD3,000) as tuition fees.
Additionally, students are required to pay for their own flight which amounts to north of Ksh140,000 for a return ticket depending on the airline.
According to Jerusalem Post, an Israeli media outlet, some of the students were unfazed by the ongoing war and had assured their families back home about their safety.
Per one of the students, Joel Mwangi, his parents were concerned about his safety due to reports on media outlets.
“The families were of course worried about the war. They are dependent on the media, which does not always reflect what is happening on the ground. We assured them we were safe in this area,” he remarked.
Another student, Joselyne Wairimu added that the program was their opportunity to get experience in agriculture and was far better than what she had back in Kenya.
She emphasised that the program was a life changer for her since she was continuously learning. Additionally, some Kenyan students who had completed the course in the previous years had joined the current program unbothered by the ongoing war which has caused the deaths of thousands of individuals.
Mwangi is among the students who have returned adding that they come back as leaders and to look after the other students. He revealed that the main issue with students from Kenya is adjusting to the weather.
“I decided to come back because of the social aspect, the interaction not only with the Jewish people in the country but also with the new Kenyan students coming to the program,” added Jesse Mutunde another Kenyan student.
Some of the other students are from; Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, Azerbaijan, Tanzania, Liberia, Laos, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Indonesia.
These students remain in the country despite 10 others from Nepal being murdered in October last year. Tamar Yaren, the head of internship in Agriculture Administration in the Foreign Ministry explained that all students who did not feel safe left the country but most chose to stay.
The Agricultural Program, It involves the students working on farms and living with farmers who become their mentors. There are no dormitories and students are mostly on the farms.
The fieldwork includes; dairy, orchard and field crop, poultry, livestock and aquaculture farming. The program launched 30 years ago aims to provide students with tools to see their world from a different perspective and overcome challenges, especially in agriculture.
Students earn a salary similar to other workers on the farm which has encouraged more Kenyans to stay and earn while still learning. Since the program is almost a year-long, they get to experience the full season.
Notably, students are also taken on field trips to tourist attractions, professional tours in plant protection and also learn theoretical coursework.
“Everyone who returns home after completing the program is an ambassador,’ AICAT founder Hanni Arnon stated…CONTINUE READING>>
