by Lesley Ririka

Serah is returning home after a one year Rotary scholarship in USA. Serah is 18 years old (born 7th Feb 1993) and is from Nagamiza and Kerefa Villages in Eastern Highlands Province. She is the eldest of four children, her father Raymond and mother Stella Gahuno. Rotary Club of Goroka, District 9600, was able to secure the scholarship sponsored by Rotary International. There was only one scholarship available to PNG, another scholarship was given to a girl from Solomon Islands and the rest of the group were from Australia. Serah has been studying in Providence Girls Catholic High School, San Antonio, Texas and is returning to complete her Grade 11 and 12 at Goroka Secondary, Goroka, as she had completed grade 10 before she left.

She has been hosted by different Rotarians during her 12 months and has had the opportunity to take various trips to see different parts of the country. One such trip was to the Rotary International Convention in New Orleans when she was asked to carry the PNG flag in front of thousands of Rotarians. She felt proud and privileged to do so.

The exchange has allowed her to meet many different people from many different cultures and gain a knowledge and understanding of these different cultures. She has had the opportunity to talk about PNG to individuals and Rotary groups, so that many people who had not heard of Papua New Guinea, now know where it is and something of its culture and characteristics.

We look forward to welcoming Serah back home and listening to what she has learnt and experienced while in USA.