These were days of packing suitcases, last hugs, and promises to see each other again soon, experienced in Oristano by Laurence and Alì, the two international students who spent the last few months in the area thanks to Intercultura programs. Last Friday was, in fact, the day of their official farewells: Laurence, arriving from Canada and enrolled at the Benedetto Croce Linguistic High School, and Alì, from Turkey and attending the Mariano IV Scientific High School, said goodbye to the families who welcomed them, to the volunteers at the local center, to their classmates, and to the friends they had made during these months of living together and discovering each other. They return home with something more than when they arrived: a new language, Italian, and a wealth of intercultural skills that, as those who have lived this experience often say, remain with them for life.

But as one chapter closes, another immediately opens. Volunteers at the Oristano Local Center are already working to organize the welcome for the new international students arriving in September. And the request made to local families is clear. They don't need perfect homes, nor unlimited time to dedicate, but simply a willingness to open their doors and their daily lives to a boy or girl arriving from far away. Hosting a foreign student, after all, is not only an act of generosity; it is described by those who have already done so as a true investment in the human capital of the entire family. Research conducted by AFS Intercultural Programs has identified four main motivations that drive families to undertake this experience. The first is the opportunity to "travel while staying at home," bringing new cultures and traditions directly into their own homes. The second is the opportunity to rediscover their homeland and their customs through the curious and amazed eyes of those seeing them for the first time. Then there is the educational dimension. For the children of host families, sharing daily life with a "brother" or "sister" from a different background becomes a true learning experience, one built on sharing, tolerance, and open-mindedness. Last but not least, it fosters bonds that transcend geographical boundaries: an extended family that spans the globe, with affections often destined to last forever.

Families interested in starting this experience starting in September can contact the volunteers at the Oristano Local Intercultura Center directly, by contacting Hospitality Manager Ileana Picconi at +39 340 555 5317, or by emailing ileanarita.picconi@tiscali.it. All program information is also available on the website www.intercultura.it/famiglie.

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