Kenya · 21 October 2019 · 2 min
I was surrounded by rocky, naked mountains throughout my childhood. Little did I know that one day, I would have the opportunity to get my secondary education in one of the most prestigious Aga Khan institutions, which would then lead me to get accepted to the best university in Canada. I look back at the days in my childhood when I had to hike over six kilometres on the mountains during the frosty winters, to get to my school in Tajikistan.
By the time I turned twelve, my life turned completely around when I got accepted to the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa with full financial aid and travelled thousands of miles away from home. Not only did I not have to commute to school in the cold anymore, but I was also given the opportunity to sculpt my raw mind and character while learning from a very diverse community of peers and teachers in the IB curriculum.
Currently, I am specialising in Architectural Studies at the University of Toronto and I am a recipient of the Ontario Tuition Waiver and the AKDN scholarship, which I received because the Academy believes in my potential. I am determined to use this opportunity to become an architect who will completely transform the urban landscape of Badakhshan and design buildings which will not only develop the land physically, but also progress the society’s thinking. I intend to find creative ways to preserve the culture and values of the people, while eradicating poverty, empowering males to excel in their education, reducing unemployment and encouraging others to be more involved citizens. After my studies here, I hope to get a Master’s degree at either Harvard or MIT, the two universities where His Highness the Aga Khan implement his curriculum for the study of Islamic Architecture. After this education, hopefully I will be equipped with the skills and knowledge that I need in order to transform Tajikistan.
[More information on the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa]