Kierian spent a year in Jalgaon, India with Rotary Youth Exchange. He stayed with 3 different families. One family was Sikh and two were Jain. All were vegetarian and Jainists will not kill any living thing. Kierian had to learn to just shoo insects away rather than swat them.
There are many festivals in India. Some of Kierian's favorite are:
Ganesh, where large clay statues of the elephant god are created and lowered into a lake at the end.
Navratri, which involves a lot of dancing.
Diwali is celebrated with decorations and gift giving.
Holi is when everybody has colored water to throw at each other.
Kierian had a bicycle and rode all over the countryside with his friends. The Indian Rotarians sent the exchange students on two major trips, one toured South India and the other North India.
The Rotary Club of Holland MI has a 103-year history of supporting programs such as
Providing clean water and sanitation facilities to more than 2.5 million people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Holland Club funded the building of public toilets in Gore, Ethiopia and Kisumu, Kenya.
Supporting peace education and conflict resolution training for teachers and students in 11 countries
Distributing mosquito nets, medical supplies, and vaccines to prevent malaria, polio, and other diseases in vulnerable communities. The Holland Rotary has sent numerous “ShelterBox” containers including the above items.
Empowering women and girls through literacy programs, microfinance initiatives, and vocational training
Enhancing food security and agricultural productivity for small-scale farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The Holland Club recently sponsored a significant farming project in Kenya.
Annual youth leadership training in Holland and the Rotary Youth Exchange program
Installation of park benches at Windmill Island
Sponsoring the construction of the children's Playground at Holland’s Smallenburg Park
Underwriting and monitoring 16 “little book houses” in Holland in partnership with the Herrick District Library
Farming and water ventures for the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota
.png)
Kierian spent a year in Jalgaon, India with Rotary Youth Exchange. He stayed with 3 different families. One family was Sikh and two were Jain. All were vegetarian and Jainists will not kill any living thing. Kierian had to learn to just shoo insects away rather than swat them.