“Mamba, jina langu ni Ilphan.” That’s one of the many ways freshman Ilphan Nkrumbia can introduce himself. It translates to “Hello, my name is Ilphan.”

He grew up in Dar es salaam, Tanzania–the eastern part of Africa near the Indian Ocean. Nkrumbia can speak up to 5 different languages including English, French, Swahili, Turkish, and Arabic. He learned French, Swahili, and Arabic while he was growing up. When he was a little older he began to learn Turkish, then progressively learned English as he started living here in the United States.

Before moving to the U.S., he lived with his grandparents and his mother Mariam. “ His father Sadiq moved before he was born so he never got the chance to connect with him. Sadiq got remarried to his stepmom Saada. Nkrumbia has two younger sisters Huilyat and Yusra who both live with him here in Kansas.

“I like to travel, to see other peoples cultures,” Nkrumbia said. He wants to visit China, Australia, Europe, and Asia. He likes to see how all the different cultures and people behave towards each other, he also enjoys trying new things.

When Nkrumbih turned 14, and finished primary (middle school) his dad said that he would move him out here to live with him. It was a difficult start to the year. He felt out of place and lacking in connections with his peers. Around the second week of school he started making friends and adjusting to the lifestyles of America and how different they are to the ones in Tanzania.

“It is different, but I hate staying away from my mom,” Nkrumbih said.