Yemen

Omar and Mohamed Al Kaff `06 took part in World Water Day Aden

Fifteen Alumni joined one-hundred and fifty high school students who receive English Access Microscholarship grants to observe World Water Day on March 22nd in Aden The World Water Day program is a UN initiative designed to improve awareness of the role of water resources in the global environment. Each World Water Day is highlighted by a
particular theme; this year's theme was "Coping with Water Scarcity." In cooperation with Yemen's Ministry of Water and Environment, the alumni and students spent two hours clearing the shoreline of the wildlife sanctuary of the UN-recognized Aden Marsh. Prior to the clean-up, Dr. Omer Al-Sagheer, the UN's Global Environmental Facility Representative and Yemen's premier ornithologist, met with the students to explain the importance of Aden Marsh to the region's ecology, and the importance of preserving the environment and protecting wildlife. Mr. Hani Nasser Yaseen from the Yemeni Water Authority briefly addressed environmental issues related to water resources. AMIDEAST Aden helped to organize the event. A representative from the U.S. Embassy and AMIDEAST English language instructors accompanied the group during the activities. Each student was provided with a cap and a tee-shirt. At the conclusion of the activity the participants regrouped at AMIDEAST for a light lunch and engaged in a discussion about their experience. Journalists from the Yemeni Times, Saba News Agency, the 14th of October newspaper, and Aden Broadcasting documented the event.

Ali Hussein Mohammed Saleh ’06, seated fifth from the left, became the first Yemeni to win the international English Speaking Union competition in London.

YES Alumni again paired with the English Access Microscholarship students on a visit to a local Juvenile Detention Center in Aden on May 10th. The Center, which is maintained by the Ministry of Social Affairs, houses children between the ages of seven and fifteen years of age who have committed minor crimes. When they arrived, the Alumni were introduced to the children, and then spoke with them about their plans for their future, and what they would like to study. The Alumni entertained the children with songs and poetry, after which everyone went outside for some outdoor activities. They engaged in a clean-up of the yard, planted shrubbery and played football. After the outdoor activities, everyone watched the movie "A Shark's Tale" . The group enjoyed their visit and looked forward to returning in the future.

Ali Hussein Mohammed Saleh `06 an Alumni on both the English Access Microscholarship program and the YES program, recently won the international prize in the English Speaking Union's International Speaking Competition. Ali traveled to London in mid-May to participate, and is the first Yemeni to win the competition. The topic of his speech was "Planning for a World with Light Water." The English-Speaking Union is an international educational charity founded in 1918 to promote "international understanding and friendship through the use of the English language." Debates are one of many mechanisms used to encourage greater understanding. The ESU's Yemen branch was established in June of 2004 and is headquartered in Aden.