By Hafed Luqman, YES 2011-2012, Yemen, hosted by AFS in Dexter, MI

Since my return from the YES program in 2012, I have been working with my fellow alumni to bring community service to our communities. I started as a volunteer in the Aden YES Alumni (AYA) Association in my city, Aden, Yemen, then I was promoted to secretary, and  president. The leadership I learned from those roles helped me apply for and earn a MEPI Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship, so now I am studying at a university in Cairo, Egypt. However, I stay connected with the YES alumni by acting as a consultant for the association from abroad.

While I was president, our alumni worked to do whatever we could to help our community and did a lot of projects, including a food drive to raise money for a school for special needs children. For that particular project, we prepared cookies, cakes and even main dishes like Zurbian, a traditional chicken and rice dish, and sold them in a venue in front of the Amideast Aden Building. In just one day, we were able to raise almost $300, which we then used to buy gifts for the students at the school. We then delivered the presents to the students, who ranged from one to nine years of age, and had a a great time getting to know them.

However, since the conflict broke out in Yemen this year, it has been too dangerous for the AYA to do many activities. Even though I am currently abroad persuing my studies, I have stayed in touch with my YES alumni back home, and have begun working with Yemeni colleagues at my university to try to improve the situation. My fellow students and I have worked together to bring aid to Yemenis who have been stranded in Egypt and need help while they are here. Along with that, we have also been trying to spread awareness about the deteriorating humanitarian crises happening in Yemeni. One way we did this was by holding a silent demonstration in the middle of the campus.

Being a YES alumnus has helped me develop the leadership skills and confidence to lead such ventures. More than that, it has motivated me to work for others and has taught me how to use my skills in order to best benefit the people around me.