These will be the best four years of your life!  Buckle up!

Kaumba bin Lengwe Samuel, Kahita Binti Lengwe Henocka and Nsungu bin Lengwe Luc from the Democratic Republic of Congo, joined Strathmore University in 2018. Each with big dreams and goals, their parents and two younger siblings bid them goodbye as they began their pursuit of excellence. Samuel and Luc (first and third born respectively) pursued the Bachelor of Commerce degree at the Business School, while Binti (second born) pursued Tourism and Hospitality.  On 7th October 2022, the three siblings shifted the tassel together, making it a unique fraternal trifecta in this institution.

Kaumba bin Lengwe Samuel (second from left), Kahita Binti Lengwe Henocka (3rd from left) and Nsungu bin Lengwe Luc (1st from right) pose with their family and Dr. Vincent Ogutu, Vice Chancellor, Strathmore University

Life as Stratizens

The three, having had independent lives, would often bump into each other when their schedules aligned. They would often get lunch, study together in the library, or simply hang out and chat.

Luc, a social butterfly, would often be found in the club’s office engaging in French Club activities since he was the Vice President of the Club. In fact, he was instrumental in the successful 2022 Languages Week! “Je suis très fière de moi.” Luc says. Hardly would he be found at home as he enjoyed hanging out with his friends.

Kaumba is an artist. He sang. So much so that he won an award during the Class of 2022 #LastSupper Gala that took place early in the year. Talk of talent!

Speaking of talent, Binti, on the other hand, spent her free time painting art pieces. She is part of the Strathmore Art Club. “Next time, I will carry an apron…” she would tell herself as she would come home with paint smudged on her clothes. But painting made her feel good. Relaxed.

In the evening, they would convene at their place of residence and catchup on how the day had been. Many times, they would also assist each other on their assignments and projects as Lucas prepared a scrumptious meal.

Getting lost and finding ourselves while living in a different country.

Kaumba: Among the most thrilling phases in a student’s life is studying abroad or in a different country. Coming to Kenya to pursue our undergraduate degrees was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Meeting new people, immersing ourselves into a new culture while savoring the newfound freedom and responsibility. However, we experienced culture shock.

Luc: Talk about the language barrier. Nous venons d’un pays francophone. La plupart de nos amis parlent le Kiswahili et nous nous demandons souvent s’ils parlent négativement de nous… ou quoi? C’est très difficile. In addition to being homesick and missing home.

Luc, second from right.

Binti: Yeah! But we got the hang of it, right? As the saying goes “practice makes perfect!” We took some English classes that really helped us understand the lectures and reading materials provided. Many thanks to our lecturers who walked us through.

Kaumba: Aussi, j’aime nos amis. We went through the difficulties of being international students, stayed connected and soared in the midst of the challenges.

As the onus is on us to promote Service to Society, we joined a Non-Governmental Organization known as Give Back Love Foundation. With over 30 international students across East Africa, we visited children’s homes and interacted with the wonderful souls. There is nothing that pleases one’s heart than to touch somebody else’s life.

Importance of mentoring.

Binti: Moving to a new country presents plenty of challenges to us international students. Being far away from home was not an easy journey but we managed with the help of our mentors, who were supportive throughout the journey. Thanks to Regina Kithuka, for your constant words of advice, encouragement and motivation. And a listening ear when I experienced challenges.

Kaumba: Mr. Jeremy Mwangi. Often, we’d call him “Grandpa” as helped me navigate the university’s ins and outs. You pushed me to strive for excellence.

What are your greatest achievements?

Binti: Graduating together is our major accomplishment and an important milestone. It all sunk in when we were taking pictures together, with our caps on and our different color hoods.

Luc: It felt more like a group victory than anything I have done on my own. We could not have done it without our parents’ constant support and encouragement. Even though they were far away from us, we wanted to make them proud. And we did it!

Kaumba: Well… Representing my country here at Strathmore University!

As for us….

Binti: God never said that the journey would be easy but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile. Oh! Aren’t we grateful that we have graduated?

Luc: It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.

Kaumba: We cannot wait to see what the future brings!

This article was written by Jemmy Kamau.