Khensani’s starting point was the same as that of many young women: leaving her comfort zone to become a better person. In all transparency, the young woman shares that going to India was not her choice but rather a solution.
How many of us have not left the comfort of our homes in search of a better education? That was the case for Khensani Shonila. When she left the Mozambican capital, it was to seek a better education and a place where she could find herself
When it came to choosing a field of study, Khensani decided to follow in her family’s footsteps: her father took a secondary-level course in computer engineering, and her older sister likewise chose technology for her degree. By following the same path four years ago, the young woman believed it would be a safe choice, as she would have support if she needed it.
“When I began to understand what computer engineering is, I regretted it a little. As I matured, I realised that the reason I had chosen the field had not been the best. But I do not blame myself for it either, because I did not have enough experience. If I could go back, I would probably do a degree in Management and Administration,” shares Khensani, at a time when she is about to finish her degree and is doing an internship in web development.
In reality, leaving Mozambique helped the young woman to know herself better. Maturity, overcoming problems and emotional awareness were things Khensani ended up gaining in India
On top of the decisions she made about her studies, Khensani encountered various cultural challenges on her journey. The first? The food. “Their food is very spicy. Their piri-piri made me ill because it was in quantities I was not used to. Then even small things, like the language. Although many people can speak English, most speak the local language. This ended up creating a gap and, because of that language barrier, in my first year at university I ended up not making friends,” the young woman says. Another challenge for Khensani was feeling that in Anand, the city in the state of Gujarat where she lives, people are not very familiar with Black people. She felt, as she puts it, “almost like a statue”.
In reality, leaving Mozambique helped the young woman to know herself better. Maturity, overcoming problems and emotional awareness were things Khensani ended up gaining in India. “Today I think there are not many problems that I feel I cannot solve on my own. Being here alone led me to overcome a lot and gave me the flexibility to face any problem,” she confesses. From our side, we take away the lesson of a young woman who, with the right tools, has a world to discover.
