Congratulations to our own Strathmore Law School students for winning the All African Regional Stage of the 2020 Foreign Direct Investment Moot held from August 4^th to 8^th 2020. The trio included 2^nd year David Otieno, 4^th year’s Yvonne Nyangi and Mdathir Timamy. The moot auditions were on April 30^th, 2020 and required participants to draft a one-page answer to an oral interview.

What are some of the challenges you faced while getting ready for the moot and how did you overcome them?

Thinking that I had a lot of free time to prepare was my biggest challenge, says David. The tasks never seem to end, whether it is researching, writing the arguments, practicing for the orals individually or as a group; there was always something going on. This became overwhelming so I chose to focus on identifying the specific niche I needed to work on and polish it thoroughly. For Mdathir, criticisms shared during and after his arguments challenged him a lot. However, he chose to take each feedback positively by allowing the experience to be a process that makes him a better mooter. For Yvonne, the physical and mental fatigue due to the long hours spent preparing was a morale blower. She took it upon herself to remind the team frequently that all their long hours have finally paid off with a win.

What have you learnt about yourself during the pandemic that is influencing you now in what you do?

There are no limits to what I can do, says Yvonne. We like to package ourselves in a box and often get stuck in there. “I have learnt to stretch and open myself to learning and exploring new opportunities.” she added. She also winds down through music by playing the saxophone and working out to break from monotony. For Mdathir, he has been able to achieve more in a day than before because he is more time-conscious now. “I have a lot of time to myself and I need to be able to account for it” he says. David has been taking walks with his brother while they engage in conversations on what is happening in their lives currently. In addition, he is also learning that every sacrifice is a ticket to becoming greater in what lies ahead. For example, the long sleepless nights he had to endure.

The three agree that their teamwork skills got an upgrade. As a result, David is more understanding of the weaknesses and strengths of others while working together. Mdathir, oratory skills went up a notch and is ready for the next competition. Yvonne admits to being more tenacious and believes that nothing great ever comes easy; you have to put in the work. Yvonne, David and Mdathir would like to encourage the other students to challenge themselves because anything is possible when you set your mind to it.

This article was written by  Annete Karanja. 

Would you like to share your experience of living through the circumstances brought by the Covid-19 pandemic? Kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu