AKA, Hyderabad Alumnus Imtiyaz Hariyani Joins AKA, Mombasa Community

It's been exactly a month since I joined the sister school in Mombasa, and it already feels like home away from home. Not knowing more than three people in the whole of Africa before coming, the warm and welcoming staff and students have not let me feel lonely even for a moment. I guess it’s just a wonderful characteristic of our schools!

Having graduated from The Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad in May 2014, I decided to take a gap year to consider more university options and to be able to get some work experience in a professional environment. What better way to make use of the gap year than to serve the institution that has allowed you to grow as a person? I’d say coming to Mombasa as an intern was not a planned move but a very satisfying one nonetheless. Helping the students in a one-on-one capacity has always been of interest and isn’t a very difficult task for me, considering I only finished the IB a year ago, and am aware of the common difficulties the students face. 

The major difference in the two schools, I believe, is in terms of the flexibility offered. The Academy in Hyderabad, according to me, is quite liberal, with students getting the opportunity to become independent and manage their own time (although it has its own limitations). While here in Mombasa, the students follow a very tight schedule both in terms of academics and co-curricular activities. This enables them to get exposed to a wide range of activities and to develop a strong work ethic. Both these approaches are unique in their own way and seem to be the underlying difference in what is a closely connected and intellectually diverse global network. 

Extending my passion for the gentleman’s game has always been one of my prime objectives in a foreign country and what better time to be here with the ICC Cricket World Cup attracting the students. With the help of the DP1s, I have been able to put together a cricket club that meets every Wednesday for practice and we soon hope to participate in tournaments and go big from there. 

A much needed mid-term break will soon make way for the remainder of this semester which promises to be as pleasing an experience as the last one month. I look forward to the next three months here in Mombasa and hope I will be able to make significant contributions to the community.