Family & Wellbeing

The Kerry Group sponsors colleagues' children between 15 - 18.5 years old to participate in a AFS one-year overseas exchange program, to promote the inter-cultural study and stimulate personal development. In 2023-2024, we have sponsored 2 colleagues' children to Finland and France, find out more on their adventures during their exchange! 
 

2024 -25 Sharing from Kerry Returnee to Finland

"This exchange year has been very special to me. Before going to Finland, I never thought I could make new friends or have close relationships with my host families. But it turns out that I have made many close friends, both inside and outside my school in Finland. My host family has become another home to me. A lot of 'first times' were unlocked during this year as well. For example, my first-time being in a foreign country on my own, my first-time seeing snow, my first-time downhill skiing and hiking skiing, and my first time seeing the Aurora.

After 10 months in Finland, I feel like I have become a Finnish, my host family also said so, and Finland has become a second home to me. Despite some challenging moments, this year has been one of the happiest and most precious memories of my life. I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to be in this program. Also, I want to extend my thanks to my friends in Finland for their companionship and my host families for embracing me as part of their own and providing unwavering support. Lastly, I want to thank myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and completing this fruitful exchange year."

Above is a sharing by Zoe, daughter of Kerry Logistics' colleague, Miu Wong. 
 

2024 -25 Sharing from Kerry Returnee to France

For this 10-month exchange journey, I would like to express that it was a delightful and unforgettable experience that completely transformed me. The first month as an exchange student in France was challenging. The French language was confusing and being away from my family and friends made me feel lonely. However, thanks to my host family and friends in France, they helped alleviate my stressful feeling and gave aid to improve my French communication skills. As I became more proficient in French, my relationships with my classmates grew stronger, and I gained a deeper understanding of French culture. In return, I introduced them to my city and shared aspects of my own culture.
 

One of the highlights of my exchange year was the vacations I spent with my host family and friends. We explored various regions of France together. For example, we travelled to the North to celebrate Christmas with their relatives in a city called Lille. We also went skiing in the East of France. In June, during the last month of my exchange year, I joined a 3-day school trip with my friends to Nice and Monaco in the South. We visited famous beaches in Nice and explored animal exhibitions in Monaco. It was truly the best school trip I had ever experienced.
 

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the AFS program. Compared to my initial hesitations and lack of social skills, I have transformed into someone who is more outgoing and enjoys making new friends. I have also become more mature through this journey. Moreover, my time spent in French schools has sparked a deep interest in studying abroad after high school. I am planning and preparing to pursue my studies in France in the future. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to everyone I met in France who helped me in the beginning and had a lot of fun with me.

Above is a sharing by Brandon, son of Kerry Properties' colleague, Victor Ng. 


Further reading:
【France Returnee's Sharing  | Belgium Returnees' Sharing | Switzerland & Finland Returnees' Sharing】