NSA Around the World: Africa
By Keziah H.
Cape Town South Africa by Uchar from Getty Images Signature Created in Canva
Africa is a large and diverse continent, filled with many countries, languages, and cultures. (And no, Africa is not a country!) As an international school, NorthStar Academy serves around 100 students listed as living in Africa, though there may be even more when considering high-security families who prefer not to say where they live. Whether they are citizens of African countries or not, they still get to call it their home. Other students come from Africa or have African heritage but live elsewhere. They may keep their traditions and languages or start new ones from the countries they now live in. Whatever the case, it is a pleasure to meet these students and hear from them about their homes and the things they love about them.
The largest number of students live in Kenya, a nation in East Africa close to Ethiopia and Tanzania. Most people who live there seemed to enjoy it, although there were also some difficult things about life there. One student, Birdie, shares what she likes and dislikes about her home, “The best thing, at least for Kenya, is the safaris. For the worst thing, it’s either election year or power outages.” She also had a lot to say about Kenyan food, “Also, Kenya’s local food is some of the worst, and it’s not even local; people brought all of it from somewhere in the world. Imagine British food, but without fish and chips, and then you have Kenyan food.”
Another fact about kids in Africa, especially TCKs, or kids who are not citizens of the country they inhabit, is that they tend to move quite a lot. Though some kids stay in the same African country for their entire childhood, others must move once, twice, or even frequently for work, school, or health and safety reasons. Many students have found it hard to move away, even when they are just going to the next country over. Others have ended up enjoying it, including one girl who writes, “I’ve had a good experience living in Africa. I grew up mostly in Mali so that’s where I’d say home is/was. But if you asked me where home is I’d probably answer, ‘Wherever I am is home to me.’ Like when I stayed in Kenya for a few months it felt like home.” This can also show that African TCKs’ definitions of home can change over time.
So, what is life really like for a student living in Africa? There is not always a clear answer. Since all of our students here at NSA are different, their lives, stories, and cultures will also be different. However, they do seem to all have one thing in common. They have a unique experience that helps shape who they are today, and that is pretty special.
Columns: 👤NSA People, 🧑🚀NSA Culture
Keziah H. lives in East Africa with her parents, two brothers, and a mischievous puppy named Bandit. This is her fifth and last year at NorthStar, and her second year at the Navigator. She likes to read almost any book she can get her hands on, but especially fantasy books. She also enjoys creative writing, coming up with awesome ideas with her brothers, and playing outside. She has been writing stories ever since she can remember and hopes to be an author when she grows up.