There are courses people choose because they sound interesting. Then there are courses people choose knowing very well that the road ahead will demand discipline, sacrifice, and a certain kind of courage. Actuarial Science belongs firmly in the second category.

When most people hear the words Actuarial Science, one thing quickly comes to mind: serious brains. The kind of people who seem to understand numbers before the rest of us have even found a calculator. The kind who can look at a complex equation and somehow make sense of it before touching a pen. Mathematics, statistics, probability, risk, finance; Actuarial Science sits at the intersection of all these worlds, and it is not a path many people casually choose.

It is a demanding field. A highly specialised one. And across Africa, fully qualified actuaries are still relatively few. So when you meet a young man from Burundi who chose this course, crossed borders to pursue it, and is now preparing to graduate from Strathmore University, you know there is a story worth telling.

Meet Bwashi Orlando. Born and raised in Burundi, Orlando later attended high school in Rwanda, a journey that would slowly open his eyes to opportunities beyond the familiar. It was during his time in Rwanda that he first came across Strathmore University through one of the open days and outreach activities that gave prospective students a glimpse into what the University had to offer. Interestingly, Orlando’s first introduction to Actuarial Science did not come from Strathmore. It came from home.

His parents had mentioned the course to him, and something about it caught his attention. He may not have fully understood then just how demanding the programme would be, but one thing was already clear: numbers had always felt like familiar ground. “I have always been a maths nerd,” he says, especially when it came to Algebra and Statistics. So when he discovered that Strathmore offered Actuarial Science, the pieces began to fall into place. Here was a course that combined the subjects he loved with a profession that could open doors in insurance, finance, risk management, data, and decision-making.

In 2022, he boarded a flight to Kenya and began his undergraduate journey at Strathmore University. Like many international students, he arrived with expectations of what life would be like. He imagined that most of his days would revolve around books, classes, and study schedules. He also thought he would easily adjust to life in Kenya. “I thought my life would mostly be in books, and that I would easily navigate the lifestyle,” he recalls.

But moving to a new country teaches you quickly that university is never just about academics. It is about learning the routes. Learning the culture. Learning how people speak, relate, laugh, study, disagree, and support one another. It is about finding your way in a new city, building friendships from scratch, managing homesickness quietly, and learning how to become independent before you always feel ready.

Actuarial Science quickly proved to be every bit as demanding as its reputation suggested. The programme stretched him, tested him, and required a level of consistency that could not be faked. Some units, including Applied Research and Health, pushed him especially hard. Looking back, Orlando jokes that his experience could probably fill a memoir. There were long days, difficult chapters, and moments when understanding did not come immediately.

There were topics that needed to be revisited again and again, equations that demanded patience, and assignments that reminded him that loving mathematics does not mean the journey will always be easy. He leaned on his classmates. They formed study groups, revisited chapters after lectures, broke down difficult concepts, and helped one another keep going. In those groups, learning became less lonely. The numbers were still difficult, but the burden was shared. He also speaks with deep gratitude about the lecturers who walked with him through the tough parts of the programme. In particular, he credits Mr. Victor Sang and Mr. John Ocheche for their encouragement and support when the road felt heavy.

The journey was not easy, but it shaped him. “I think somehow it contributed something to my character, especially independent decision-making,” he says. “It was difficult at first, but it is doable.” That independence became one of the biggest lessons of his Strathmore journey. Moving from Burundi to Rwanda, and then from Rwanda to Kenya, meant constantly learning how to adapt. Each place brought something new. Burundi was home. Rwanda opened his eyes to wider possibilities. Kenya challenged him to stand on his own, speak up, build community, and keep moving even when the path felt unfamiliar.

If the classroom stretched his mind, life outside the classroom stretched his character. At Strathmore, Orlando found community in the Strathmore Actuarial Students’ Society, where he served for two consecutive years. It gave him a space to connect with students who understood both the pressure and beauty of the course. It also helped him feel part of something larger than his own academic journey.

He also found release in tennis, and comfort among fellow Burundian students on campus. In those friendships, he found familiar voices, shared experiences, and people who understood what it meant to be far from home while trying to build a future. And then there was cooking. For him, cooking for himself became more than a survival skill. It became therapy. In the middle of assignments, deadlines, exam pressure, and adjusting to life away from home, cooking gave him rhythm. It gave him a way to pause, take care of himself, and create a small sense of home wherever he was.

And while Orlando was learning how to build a life away from home, he was also finding ways to give back. Community service and impact became an important part of his Strathmore journey, aligning closely with the University’s commitment to service-based learning and forming students who use their knowledge to serve society. During his Service-Based Learning experience, Orlando volunteered at Talitha Koum Autisme Burundi, an organisation dedicated to supporting children with autism.

There, he worked directly with children aged between 4 and 15 years, helping them develop basic communication skills and engaging them in physical activities designed to improve motor skills and social interaction. The experience opened his eyes to the unique challenges faced by children with special needs and the families who care for them. He saw the patience, dedication, and love required in that work. But he also saw the gaps. One of the biggest challenges he noticed was the lack of adequate resources, especially sensory tools, which are essential for children with autism who may struggle with overstimulation.

That observation became the foundation of his proposal for the 2024 Service-Based Learning Competition as he focused on acquiring sensory tools for the centre, raising awareness about the services offered by Talitha Koum, increasing enrolment, and building partnerships with other organisations to expand the centre’s resources and visibility.  His proposal won him the top prize of KES 200,000! His commitment to service also took him to Kilifi, where he joined the Mentoring and Community Service Centre in outreach activities at Kolongoni Primary School and the local Catholic Church. There, he participated in community engagement efforts that brought students closer to the realities of different communities and reminded him that education is most meaningful when it reaches beyond the classroom.

As graduation approaches, Orlando is not only thinking about what he studied, but also about where the journey may take him next. Although Actuarial Science remains his foundation, he sees himself moving more towards the finance industry, a field he believes shares a close relationship with actuarial training, especially through analytical thinking, risk assessment, and decision-making. Currently, he is pursuing his CFA certification and working as a Sales Consultant at Odoo, building a path that brings together numbers, business, analysis, and people.

Looking back, Orlando says coming to Kenya was one of the best decisions he made. Strathmore gave him more than a degree. It gave him exposure, friendships, experience, confidence, and a new way of seeing himself. “Interacting with my classmates and friends helped me pick up the value of being bold with your ideas and saying them fearlessly,” he says. For an international student, that lesson matters.Because crossing borders is not only about changing location. It is about entering new spaces and slowly finding your voice in them. It is about learning that your ideas matter, even when you are far from home.

Article written by: Jemmy M. Kamau