Mumba Zulu

My Swiss host family

Coming from a bigger family of eight and having lived with other families other than my biological parents and siblings I did not really know what to expect from my host family because I thought life would be the same. Interestingly, life was extremely special with the host family. On the first day, I was warmly welcomed by Madeleine, and I found some Swiss Chocolate in my room upon arrival.  The room was tranquil and comfortable with the view of the nice village and the mountain nearby. The following morning, I met Ahmed, the son, who was very fluent in English, and he really helped me to know how to navigate around the city and to work with the SBB application. My host family really made sure I got the best experience of Switzerland. They helped me to plan for trips to various tourists’ spots, such as the Matterhorn, Mount Rigi and other countries such as France, Germany, Austria and Italy. Above all, what I liked the most was the conversations that we had with the host family during mealtimes. They really wanted to know how my day was at work and this gave me a feeling of being part of the family and I shared a lot of my background stories.  It was a great honour and privilege to be hosted by Madeleine and her husband Kadir Abdulkadir.

My highlights and challenges

I found Switzerland to be unique in many aspects when compared to Zambia. Talk of the transportation system is way advanced in the former such that the trains go almost to all parts of the country, and they are very fast and accurate with time. Within the city there are trams and buses, and at times boats that help to move around the city and on the lakes such as Lake Zurich. In addition, I also found the Swiss people to be very friendly and kind. Not just one time but many, I saw the Swiss people granting me a seat when the train is at full capacity.

However, I found it challenging at first to use the SBB application and read various signs. Further, the cost of living in Switzerland is very high compared to Zambia; prices are very high such that I could fail to purchase some things when I try to convert to Kwacha equivalence, our currency.  At work, it was not challenging for me to accomplish the assigned tasks on time. Perhaps this is because my two mentors taught me not to abuse the phone during working hours. At first it seemed to be challenging, but I got to appreciate that later since I could always finish my assigned tasks on time. This is something that I will incorporate back home since social media highly affects the productivity if one is not careful with it.

My future plans

My international experience and exposure to one of the leading powerhouses (banks) has given me a lot of hope and confidence that I will soon serve in the board of one of the leading commercial banks and or central bank in Zambia. This is because working for Credit Suisse has given me an absolute advantage to compete with other candidates simply because it has created a good platform for me to be trusted that I can deliver up to the expectation.  Furthermore, the exposure in the department of private equity has given me a great sense of the need to pursue other entrepreneurial activities and innovation. The recycling business is doing very well in Switzerland, and I would also like to advocate and foster it in Zambia since this does not only bring income but also leads to environmental-friendly practices.

Personal message

Career aspirations in Africa at large are always good among the youths. However, lack of opportunities such as this prestigious B360 internship causes many not to live their dream. It will be so unfair of me not to recognise the massive work that Sabina and her team are doing.  My profound gratitude goes to the entire B360 Education Partnerships for granting me this opportunity to do an internship in Switzerland and to explore Europe. Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to my host family, the department of Economics at the University of Zambia and Credit Suisse bank for trusting by abilities.