For Aleesha Suleman, a 2012 alumna of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and now a graduate student at the University College London (UCL) in Qatar, her one enduring dream has been to return to Kenya after completing her education and give back to her community. For her, working towards the development of the country is an important responsibility and it reflects the mission and vision of the Aga Khan Academies. 

At UCL- Qatar, Aleesha is completing a Master of Arts Degree programme in Museum and Gallery Practice. This programme, Aleesha says, “brings together my many loves – art, museums, culture, education, development and social justice.” 

Aleesha also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Qatar. She notes that whenever she was studying, she never lost sight of her connection to Kenya.

“For one, whatever classes I took, I would find ways to connect my research back to Kenya, its history, its politics and its socio-economic issues. University classes related to the African continent would light a spark in me that made me realise how passionate I was about making a positive social change to the continent in whatever way I could,” she states. 

Being admitted to the Academy was the beginning of a transformative journey for Aleesha. Coming from a more conservative background, it was a culture jolt initially. “I distinctly remember feeling the shock of a co-ed classroom for the first time and feeling like I would never be comfortable in the Academy’s school uniform.”

However, as Aleesha began to be exposed to a plethora of experiences, she adjusted quickly to her new life. She engaged in a number of extracurricular activities, including singing and playing musical instruments for the school band, hiking and mountain climbing through the President’s Award Programme. She also took on a leadership role within the growing residential programme as a Dorm Captain. 

Following her graduation from Georgetown University, Aleesha returned to AKA Mombasa to become an Academy Fellow for two years. During this time, Aleesha worked as a mentor and residential parent to students, while also working in the Communications Department. Once her fellowship ended, Aleesha became the Communication Department’s official Communications Officer. 

Always a champion of social enterprise and progress, Aleesha started an organisation called Kreatives Konnect when she became a part of the Academy staff. The focus of the organisation is to provide opportunities for creatives in the coastal city of Mombasa to showcase their talents, network and collaborate with others, while also co-creating opportunities for development. Not only did the staff at the school back her in this endeavour, but the Academy students and the wider AKA community also helped her make this vision a reality.

“It made me feel very privileged to be part of such a community,” Aleesha recalls proudly. “I realised that just as the Academy supports students in making their ideas come to life, the school also supports all projects that impact the broader society.”

What does Aleesha envision she will do for Kenya?

“My long-term goal is to build high quality, accessible creative spaces in Kenya, specifically in my hometown of Mombasa. I hope to establish start-ups around this idea, incorporating the ground-work already started through Kreatives Konnect.”  

A firm believer in the power of good art bringing about social change and moving communities forward, Aleesha says her goal is to work with artists to raise the level of development of the country in a sustainable manner. “I would like to work on creating cultural policy and instituting cross-cultural collaborative programs that would revolutionise the creative industry, not just at a local level in Mombasa, Kenya, but also at a regional and international scale.” 

Aleesha recently worked on an interactive online exhibition with her Museum and Gallery Practice colleagues. It is titled Umoumah: Becoming a Mother and takes the visitor on a journey through pregnancy and motherhood, especially focusing on how the mother can be supported by loved ones and most importantly, herself. Aleesha sees this project as a crucial learning experience in how support and positive social change can be achieved through digital platforms. “Especially now with COVID-19, we’re all having to find alternative ways of communicating and connecting with others, and having a fully online exhibition is simply a testament to that. It opens up a lot more cross-border avenues for the future that transcend physical constraints.”  

Aleesha has fondly come to regard the Academy as her second home. Reminiscing about her period at the Academy, she offers a bit of advice to current Academy students.

“Be highly proactive. Do your research. Learn about yourself. Keep your options open and stop letting other people define the next steps of your life. Don’t be lazy about this process because it defines the next few years of your life. No one is going to just hand you things – you have to work for it. There are lots of amazing young people around the world who are deserving (especially if you’re looking for scholarships) You have to show the admissions team why you are unique, but there has to be evidence to show this. This evidence comes through your active and consistent participation in the activities and causes you truly care about.” 

Taniya Dharani joined the Academy visual arts department as an Academy fellow in September 2018, but she is no stranger to the school, or even the visual arts department for that matter. “I was very keen on experiencing the other side of Academy life,” she says. Taniya is a member of the first graduating class of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad in 2014, and now she is back in a teaching role.

“The Academy has made me the person I am today,” she says. “I wanted to give back to the Academy what it has given me.” After graduating from the Diploma Programme, Taniya went on to pick up a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Reading, England. In her current role at the Academy, Taniya wants to help visual arts students prepare for university level art courses. It’s also on her agenda to introduce art students to careers in their field that they might not have considered.

“I want to help give our Diploma Programme art students theoretical practice that will be useful at university,” she says. “I also want to help visual art students understand what opportunities the art world outside holds for them; artistic pathways they can opt for including business and law options in sectors that not everyone is aware of.”

Though she has her task laid out in front of her, returning to the Academy in her new role is understandably strange for Taniya. “I still feel like a student at heart,” she says. “But I’ve learnt to act like a teacher and take responsibilities.” Taniya understands that her experience as a student at the Academy puts her in a unique place of understanding in her current role as teacher. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to see Academy life from a different light this time. Now I understand the day to day challenges teachers face, as well as the hardships of student life.”

Taniya fondly remembers her time as a student at the Academy. When she graduated, Taniya was the only student in the visual arts department. “I really enjoyed visual arts in school. Being the only student, I had the entire art studio and Ms. Meenakshi to myself.” She is referring to Meenakshi Joshi, who is now MYP coordinator in the Senior School. She also remembers history classes with Koel Ray, and service opportunities at old age homes and government schools that taught her humility and empathy.

However, her most cherished memory at the Academy is meeting His Highness the Aga Khan. At the inauguration ceremony of the Academy in 2014, Taniya had the opportunity to show and discuss her art work with HH. “It was the most precious gift that I ever received and a memory that has helped me hold onto my passion.”

In her personal life, Taniya cites her father as her source of inspiration. It is a common trope that parents discourage their children from pursuing a career in the arts, but this wasn’t the case for Taniya. “Despite people not understanding my passion for painting, he [Taniya’s father] always stood by me and helped me achieve my goals,” she says. Taniya is also proud of her father’s efforts in community service and the life he has led. “His struggles and achievements inspire me. It makes me want to do great things.”

“Growing up I realised that the only thing that ignited a fire in me was holding a paintbrush in my hands and dropping paint all over my clothes. It made me feel like all is well in my world, even when almost everything in life was falling apart.” Taniya is in some ways a time capsule from the Academy’s early years, and like a time capsule, she reminds us of things that have changed, and also about the things that have remained the same.

Written by Ajay Sundaram