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During the month of March, YES Abroad celebrated Black History Month and shared activities from YES Abroad students including capstone projects, rainy days, and even snow days! Visit the YES Abroad Instagram for more highlights.

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

The Bosnia and Herzegovina cohort braved the cold winds and snow to visit two spots just outside Banja Luka. First up was Krupa na Vrbasu, where the participants had the opportunity to see Krupa Monastery, which dates back to the sixth century! While Islam is the predominate religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina, over 90% of Banja Luka are members of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Bulgaria:

While visiting a local church, the Bulgaria cohort was invited in for an impromptu tea with a local “Baba” (“Grandma”). In typical Bulgarian fashion, the participants were served tea, homemade jams, honey, fresh sugar biscuits, and apples. They shared stories with Baba, learned about one another, and engaged in our favorite kind of cultural exchange: heart-warming and stomach-filling

India:

The holidays are a great time to dive deeper into the culture of your host community and host family. Over the winter holidays and new year, Kacey spent quality time with her host family. During this period, they baked gingerbread cookies, enjoyed some time on the beach, ate Kichadi, and sang Hindi and Gujarati songs

Malaysia:

Josephina, a participant in Malyasia, shared her experience celebrating the Hindu festival of Pongal and how it’s celebrated in the month of January. Pongal celebrates Surya, the sun God. During the four-day festival, Josephina learned more about Hinduism, the cultures of the Tamil people, Pongal prayers, and the way freshly harvested rice is prepared.