Halima Suleiman was just two points away from First Class Honours; a gap she closed with the results of one semester. When the invitation to the University gala dinner arrived, she could hardly contain her excitement. “I was like, ‘You guys don’t know what this means to me,’” she recalls, her eyes lighting up. “I felt so seen with God, of course, but I also felt so proud of myself. A lot was happening.”
The recognition marked a defining moment in Halima’s #SUExperience, one that began with the Community Service Centre’s Macheo Achievement Programme, which became her anchor.
Her story didn’t start with a grand plan. She had dreamed of studying International Relations, but financial limitations made that impossible. The Macheo Programme stepped in. “Initially, I planned to do Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, but there were limited funds at that point to support me with my tuition. So, the alternative was to start with a diploma, then we can transition as time goes by.” she recalls.
It was a compromise, but Macheo made it feel like an opportunity rather than a setback. They facilitated her admission, guided her through the uncertainty, and planted something in her that would grow into something far bigger: the belief that she belonged at Strathmore. “Being part of Macheo changed everything,” Halima says, her voice warm. “They didn’t just give me a chance to study. They gave me a community; my foundation”
Halima began her Diploma in Business Information Technology during the pandemic, jokingly calling herself a “COVID baby.” Beneath the humour, however, was the memory of how isolating those early days were. “I prefer having physical classes. I like showing up every day and dressing up. Things make more sense when you’re in class.” Statistics was difficult online. “It felt like trying to catch up with a moving train. It needed physical classes” she says.
After her diploma, Halima planned to return to International Relations. Then came another proposition: becoming an exempt student and joining Bachelor of Business and Information Technology in second year. “They sold us a narrative, which we bought,” she laughs. “I looked at that and said, ‘Might as well just join from second year instead of starting as a freshman.’”
It wasn’t her original dream, but it made sense. Along the way, Halima discovered BBIT was exactly what she needed. “I am such a business-oriented person,” she explains. “I love things around business operations, but I also need to understand the systems.” She realised technology wasn’t simply about code or computers, it was about people and solving real problems. “It’s Not Really Two Points”
Third year nearly broke her. “It was just so heavy. A lot of things, a lot of concepts.” she says. Her grades; She had worked so hard to maintain were slipping. She was hovering in the high 60s, painfully close to the 70 she needed. And there was no room to simply focus on school. She had work. She had family. She had life. “I know it looks like two points, but it’s not really two points,” she says, her voice earnest. “It’s a lot of work.” One semester remained. One final chance. “I was like, I don’t know what miracle is going to happen,” she remembers.
Then the results came. She had done it. Her final average crossed the threshold, and she graduated with strong First Class Honours. A testament to her determination. “I was so happy,” she says, her voice brightening. “I was like, gosh, finally!”
But Halima’s Strathmore experience wasn’t confined to grades. Macheo gave her something deeper: the chance to become what she had once needed. Meeting young girls and hearing their dreams reminded her of her own journey. “I’d look at their eyes and you’re like, ‘Subhan Allah, I was here some time back,’” she says. Their uncertainty, ambition and hope mirrored her own. Moving from mentee to mentor and nurturing the girls became deeply meaningful. “To transition from being a mentee to a mentor… it was meaningful,” she says.
When school and work became demanding, Halima stepped back from active mentorship. “If I can’t commit to something, I’d rather not have it,” she explains. But she never stopped giving back. Whether through sports, helping with lunch, arranging seats or simply showing up. “It’s just a way of me giving back whenever I can,” she says.
Her final BBIT project brought everything together. At Joseph Kang’ethe Primary School, she encountered a challenge for deaf students and their hearing classmates: communication. Her solution was a system that captures speech and translates it into sign language in real time, allowing teachers to speak normally while students follow on screen. “I wanted us to all be here, to all be one. To coexist perfectly.” she explains.
She envisioned the technology in hospitals, churches, mosques and other public spaces. Her innovation earned recognition from peers and lecturers for its social impact. “Is it really solving a problem?” she asks. “Are we supporting communities? Are the people who really need help getting help from it?”
Halima’s time at Strathmore was further enriched by her Work-Based Learning (WBL) experience, which gave her a glimpse into the corporate world. Working in the Strathmore Administration Office, she met people with different needs, personalities and stories, deepening her understanding of Personalized Attention and the importance of seeing the person behind every request. “For me, it’s so big. You stop everything and focus on one person at a time.”
Other than complementing her academic learning, it also transformed her work approach and life. She now carries that patience into the workplace. “You don’t need to talk a certain English or dress a certain way. You are human, and I can hear you. I can, to the best of my ability, understand what you’re talking about. Then let’s have a conversation.”
To the Macheo and Strathmore students, Halima leaves a message to you; “Don’t Give Up. Honestly, Just Don’t Give Up.” “It’s been a lot, bro,” she says, her voice softening. “A lot of struggles, a lot of commitment, a lot of choosing to be uncomfortable.”
Graduating on time, earning recognition at the university gala, completing an innovative final project, and balancing work, family, and studies. These achievements represent more than academic success. They represent a young woman who refused to give up. Her advice to students is deeply personal. “Don’t give up. Honestly, just don’t give up.” Find people you can trust. Take opportunities. And when you feel overwhelmed, “show up for yourself.
Halima sums up her journey in words that linger. “There will be good people. There will be bad people. There will be good moments. There will be bad moments. But all in all, to choose kindness. Just be kind, wherever you are, whoever you meet,” she says, pausing. “That’s what matters. That’s everything.”
Article by Nekesa Teresa
