Throughout the month of October, YES Alumni in Aden, Yemen held four training sessions for students in the English Access Microscholarship program. The trainings focused on developing personal skills and using yoga as a form of relaxation and self-control to increase productivity.

To initiate the series, YES alumnus Hossam Mohammed gave a presentation on time management and introduced new study techniques for students to learn more effectively. Hossam also provided tips on creating and organizing resumes.

One participant, Ammar Mohammed, stated, “The session was so beneficial; we learned interesting techniques of reviewing and studying for an assignment or academic test.” Mariam Abubakr added, “I was impressed by the ways of studying, prioritizing and managing assignments, and I learned how to build my curriculum vitae and some other professional skills, like how to succeed in a job interview. It has motivated me to look up and learn more about such things.”

For the next two sessions, YES alumna Areeg Mohammed trained Access students on public speaking techniques. Areeg had learned these skills in after-school classes while in the U.S. as a YES student. Students reported that they were “impressed” and “amazed” by what they learned from Areeg.

The final session for October was given by YES alumnus Amr Gamal, the alumni association leader, on yoga and meditation. Amr Gamal became interested in yoga while in the U.S., and formally studied yoga at a specialized institute in Thailand in December 2014.

Amr’s students learned about how and where yoga originated, different positions and sequences of yoga, types and variations of yoga, and how it was popularized in the U.S. Students practiced the sun salutation sequence, followed by a few minutes of meditational reflection on the self.

The new yogis stated that this session helped to break stereotypes and wrong conceptions about yoga – for instance, some had previously believed that yoga involved sitting still in just one position for a long time.

Access student Ahmed Nasser said, “This yoga practice was the most interesting thing I have ever done in my life. The practice was intense and a bit hard to get used to at the beginning. However, it felt so good at the meditational part of it, I would love to do it again.” Fellow Access student Aslam AbdulKader added, “Some amazing tips about breathing were given in the activity. This was the first time I have practiced Yoga, but it is definitely not going to be the last time.”

YES Alumni Participants:

Areeg Mohammed, YES 2012-2013, hosted by AYA in Escalon, CA

Amr Al-Alawi, YES 2013-2014, hosted by World Link in Iowa City, IA