Every time I tell people from back home in Zambia that I am at school in Qatar, the expression of a shocked face and a flood of questions is almost always a standard response: Where is that? Are you safe? Is that not a Muslim country, are you allowed to be there? Understandably though, for someone whose norm is a majority Christian nation, a majority-Muslim nation is quite a major cultural shift. Zambia is a landlocked country in the heart of Africa; we are a homogenous society that probably believes that most differences, in religion especially, could easily be considered as a threat because we do not often get exposed to anything or anyone different.
Before I came to Qatar, I struggled to find a university that felt like “the perfect match.” I wanted a learning environment that goes beyond the university walls. I wanted it to be in a place where I felt comfortable, safe, and ironically, like home.
A group of first-year students attending a session of the First Year Experience program.
When I discovered GU-Q, there was little information about what actual life is like outside classes. One of the things that attracted me the most was safety. Qatar is generally a safe country, but even safer for women. Every establishment has a Women Only section, and it is one of my absolute favorite things. The idea that as women, we can have a safe space to co-exist and freely interact with each other without the constant question of safety, somehow makes us live happier and feel like we belong because a place had intentional efforts of putting up initiatives that help to make you live a better life.
Two girls seated on a table, smiling for a picture, in the GU-Q cafeteria having lunch.
The Doyle Global Dialogues has opened my eyes to me intentionally being aware of the environment around me and reflecting on my growth so far. As I had quite imagined, I had a little trouble adjusting to life here. I remember the first day of the orientation, I was casually taking a video of the room as I would normally do back home and one girl walked up to me and asked me to delete it if her face was showing. It was absolutely not hostile; she just politely asked me to. I had never encountered something like this before but here, it is a norm. Most females do not show or post their faces online. Even institutions like Georgetown need to get consent before filming any content to make sure that everyone is comfortable being on screen. This made me become more cautious of people’s boundaries. I feel that I am now able to also ask or ensure that I do not just take footage of people without permission.
A Qatar Museum art piece showing a carpet with religious writing embroidered on it.
When it comes to social life, food, and friends, being the only Zambian at GU-Q made it a little difficult for me to blend in at the beginning. There is always this need for something familiar even when we seek change. It is like I wanted to experience change but with someone I know and can relate to. Eventually, I was able to draw parallels between my experiences and those of other international students. I was able to see how we could help each other adjust in this new space, and one intentional effort I made was being part of DGD. I have always felt that having a broad perspective of ideas gives better judgment. So knowing that I would be able to interact with other young people who were going through change like me, and purposefully reflecting and documenting it made me know that I would have a lot to both learn and share. I was also able to meet other Zambians from other learning institutions and I was able to speak my language, eat our local food, and also share our experiences.
A picture of different plates of Zambian food prepared by my Zambian friends.
Outside of the differences, I have learned of so many similarities. I have seen that being in Qatar, I have learned to value my religion more. The way religion is incorporated into culture, politics, and society here has made me want to emulate that in my personal life, too. As a person who values their religion and has it as a core idea of their life, I believe that there is a lot to learn from the Qatari culture in that regard.
A Bible and notebook on a window used for personal Bible study sessions that I hold
In conclusion, I have enjoyed this experience. DGD made me learn so much about myself because I was intentional about reflecting on my journey in a new country as an international student. I feel that more often than not, what we fear to be so different could turn out to be not so different. I feel that the welcoming culture in Qatar has been embracing different cultures and religions. It teaches us mutual respect. It does take some time to adjust because we have the tendency to first point out all the things that make us different, but when we do settle in, it does not actually feel so different, because we see all the core values that we have in common.
Nelly Kalukango (SFS’26) is a sophomore at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Qatar, originally from Zambia. She is planning to major in culture and politics with a particular concentration on the interconnection of education, culture, and politics. She also has a keen interest in education, arts, and leadership. Nelly is a graduate of the African Leadership Academy in South Africa, a recipient of the 2023 Gwendolyn Mikell Award for Womxn’s Empowerment, and the current vice president of the African Students Association, among many other things. She is excited to be part of the Doyle Global Dialogue cohort this academic year and is excited to engage in meaningful conversation about life as an international student and cultural exchange, sharing experiences as well as learning from others.
