“CHRISTIAN NDORADOUMNGUE…”He spells out his name as I power through it hoping I’ll actually get it right when I put it down later . Before me sits a very happy person with a striking glow on his face. Obviously Brazil has treated him rights and he’s beaming with excitement. Share in his story in the one on one interview on his AIESEC experience in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Hey Christian : Hello. How are you..So first of all tell us about yourself : My name is Christian Ndoradoumngue, I’m 21 years old tuning 22 at the end of this month. I am from Chad, and I am currently studying Computer Science at Catholic University here in Kenya.When did you join AIESEC and why? : I joined AIESEC about a year ago and I chose to join AIESEC because it encourages leadership among young people and its all about humanism and helping and developing people. I also joined because of the presence of the international elements. So you chose to go on exchange to Brazil: YesWhy Brazil? : Brazil is an upcoming country that has all kinds of people from all walks of life that is, the poor, the middle class and the rich. It has a wide variety of people from several continents as well such as Africa, Europe, India and Latin America. The fact that it is a melting pot for all that made it a very attractive destination.Tell us of your experience before you traveled : Well I took the time to try and learn a little of their language at first. I have traveled to several countries before then so traveling to Brazil was pretty much easy for me. They also helped when it came to the VISA process, AIESEC in Brazil played a huge and quick role to help me in that part so traveling wasn’t that big of a hustle.What was the project you were working on for your GCDP? : The name of the project was “Gira Mundo”. It involved working with children to teach them about cross-culture, environmental and human rights and computer skills.

Worked with a team? : Yes, two Mexicans, one Peruvian, one person from Italy and one other person from Russia. The team was very friendly and accommodative.Where did you stay for the 6 weeks? : My accommodation was provided by the Project Manager. I stayed with her and one other girl. They were very friendly and I was always comfortable.And how did you get by otherwise? : My lunch was provided at work so I only had to spend money on breakfast, dinner, travel and communication costs. I was able to change my money at the airport. I spent roughly around 600 USD without counting travel costs.Did you experience any culture shock? : Not really. I did notice that they love taking a lot of sugary things, for example they have things like Ice Cream Pizza which really stood out to me. In terms of language I’m already used to traveling to countries where my language does no apply or is not common rather, so it wasn’t that hard for me, and to help with matters, a large population speaks English and I was also able to use the google translation app on my phone. I attended a couple of festivals like the “Carnival” but it was a bit too loud for me, though I noticed certain similarities they had with African culture. Other things they also do differently there such as open PDA also stood out for me because it rarely happens back home so I went through a change of mindset based on where I was and what was going on around me.What was your biggest challenge while on exchange? : I have to say transport. It took around an hour to forty five minutes to get a bus to work everyday which is not what I'm used to usually.

Did you get a chance to visit the MC in Brazil? : Yes I did, AIESEC in Porto AlegreHow is it over there? : What was so unique was that each member of AIESEC was being treated equally despite their status. There was no clear distinction in terms of treatment despite whether one was a member of the MC or a TL or a TM. The team pretty much acts as a family. The members are very passionate about AIESEC, they have made it a huge part of their personalities and the alumni is very supportive of them, ready to offer assistance at any time especially in terms of providing accommodation for incoming exchange participants.Through out your experience how were you treated? : I was treated very well by the whole team. The members of AIESEC in Porto Alegre were very helpful, always by my side ready to guide me and assist me whenever I needed help. The people of Brazil that I came across were very friendly, I was occasionally getting free stuff :D and they kept asking me about my hair! In conclusion, tell us what you learnt and why you would encourage other young people to take the opportunity to go on exchange : I learnt that it does not matter who someone is and where they come from, what matters is getting used to that person, putting discrimination aside and get to know them so you can work with them. Exchange is very important to a young person, it opens up your eyes and your mind to the realities of the earth and the differences different people in different countries have. It makes one a better person, a better leader and gives you the opportunity to expand yourself beyond your borders for the benefit of a brighter future.

THANK YOU AIESEC IN PORTO ALEGRE!!!!!

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