When 18-year-old Kamakshi Bhagat boarded her first international flight from Mumbai to Paris enroute to Toulouse, she was filled with a heady mix of excitement, curiosity and just a tinge of nervousness.
She was about to spend ten months in Cahors, a picturesque town in southern France, where she would live with a host family she had never met, speak a language she had only studied in school, and immerse herself in a culture vastly different from her own. As a participant in the Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) programme, Kamakshi was about to embark on a journey that would expand her worldview and transform her in profound ways.
Daughter of Jayeshkumar Bhagat, past president of RC Baroda, RID 3060, and Sneha, district secretary of Inner Wheel 3060, Kamakshi was sponsored by RC Baroda, RID 3060, and hosted by RC Cahors, RID 1700. On her arrival in Toulouse, she was warmly received by her host mother Isabelle and her daughters, Nora
and Maina.
Just days later, from August 29, 2024 she participated in a gathering of exchange students from Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. “I introduced Indian culture by performing Ganesha Vandana in Bharatanatyam,” Kamakshi recalls. She soon became an informal cultural ambassador, explaining the RYE programme at her French school, making presentations on RC Baroda’s community service initiatives at various Rotary meetings, and engaging in community activities alongside her host club.
She actively contributed to fundraising efforts, collecting donations to provide daily supplies to NGOs Intermarché and Crédit Agricole, and helped procure medical equipment to treat people suffering from cancer. One memorable project was Operation 30,000 Pommes, a Rotary fundraiser, where apples and apple-based products were sold to raise money to provide guide dogs to the visually-impaired, an event also supported by the Lions Club of Cahors.
“It was both fun and an enlightening experience to take part in ‘Repas Internationale,’ a programme that celebrated world cuisines. I had several opportunities to share Indian culture and traditions at clubs, schools and public institutions. And through fellow RYE students, I got to learn about many other countries as well. It truly felt like stepping out of the well to see the ocean.”
Talking about the selection process, her father, Bhagat, notes that Kamakshi was chosen through an interview conducted by a five-member panel after the district extended an invitation to the clubs. “Our club sponsored her journey to Cahors. The district also gave her pre-departure
orientation,” he says. Kamakshi was the only Indian student placed in Cahors for the long-term programme that year. The club had previously hosted a German student in 2013, and the Bhagat family had earlier hosted Owen Bass, an RYE student from Ohio, USA. “We’re still in touch,”
he adds.
Looking back on her journey, Kamakshi, who returned to India on June 10, says the experience changed her completely. “When I arrived in France, I could barely follow a French conversation, despite revising my school lessons. But now I can speak the language with ease.” A standout moment for her was performing a solo soprano piece with her French school choir. “It was such an honour and a unique cultural exchange.” Over the course of 10 months, she lived with multiple host families, including one in a rural village. “That taught me to adapt to new environments and routines, to different people and perspectives. In a foreign land, flexibility becomes your best friend.”
One of the highlights of her RYE year was the Euro Tour — an unforgettable whirlwind trip across Germany, Austria, Monaco, Italy and various French cities. “Every single day brought something new, something unexpected. Just as you were soaking in one experience, another came along to amaze you. But the most beautiful part? I made friends for life, with people whose cultures, languages and habits are so different from mine, yet who became so close to my heart,” she smiles.