When Ian Tuikong walks through the streets of Budapest, Hungary, he often stops to take in the view of the Hungarian Parliament lights reflecting on the Danube River. Did you know that Hungary is the home to the world’s third-largest Parliament building and the Rubik’s Cube? “The night view of the city still intrigues me,” he says. “It reminds me how far I have come.”
The 26-year-old’s journey to Europe was not carefully planned. “It was random,” he says with a laugh. “I came as a student under a scholarship called Stipendium Hungaricum.”
Ian Tuikong, 26, is an engineer at an air conditioning company in Budapest, Hungary
Photo credit: Pool
In Kenya, Ian was studying mechanical engineering at Multimedia University. His father, also a mechanical engineer, often took him to factories and workshops. Watching him work sparked Ian’s early fascination with machines. “I knew I always wanted to be an engineer,” he says.
In 2019, halfway through his degree, a friend from high school posted photos from Hungary. Curious, Ian reached out. The friend told him about a scholarship programme, and within months, Ian had applied, been accepted, and was boarding a plane, leaving behind an unfinished degree and everything familiar.
“Before I knew it, I was leaving Kenya,” he says. “It all happened so fast.”
The move turned out smoother than expected. At that time, Hungary was not crowded with international applicants, so the visa process was quick. Soon, he was walking through the halls of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, ready for a new beginning.
Like many first-time travellers, Ian faced cultural surprises. “The first thing I noticed was how people smoke everywhere,” he says. “Even teenagers. And public affection, something you rarely see back home.”
After his graduation in January, Ian transitioned smoothly into professional life, joining an air-conditioning company as an engineer, the only international employee in his department.
“I was the only international employee in my department,” he says.
Still, he found Hungarian workplaces refreshingly open. “I share a lunch table with my managing director,” he says. “He brings his own lunch, uses the same table, and we call each other by first name. It was strange at first, but I appreciate it.”
Over time, Ian built a close circle of friends, both local and international. He fondly remembers multicultural dinners at university. “Everyone brought dishes from their country,” he says. “It was like travelling the world in one evening.”
In terms of renting and cost of living, Ian says that it has risen over the past few years, and now they have to live in shared apartments. “I live in a shared flat and we pay around Sh35,000 per person since renting a house solo is costly.”
But even with the comfort and beauty of Budapest, he knows his journey is not over. “I do not see myself staying here forever,” he says with certainty. “Maybe I will move to another country for work, but eventually, I will go back home to Kenya.”
But Ian is not alone in his pursuit of growth and discovery. Just a few kilometers away, Ida Kibet is forging her path in the world of mechatronics.
Ida Kibet, 25, is a mechatronics engineering graduate from Obuda University in Hungary and a Master’s degree student is Genova, Italy.
Photo credit: Pool
At just 25, Ida Kibet has already lived the kind of journey many people only dream of. From Kenya to Budapest and now Genova, Italy, her life has been about discovery and quiet determination.
“I always knew I wanted to study abroad,” Ida says. “Maybe it was from the movies I watched growing up or the pictures I saw online. I just knew I wanted to experience life overseas.”
At first, Europe was not even in her plans. She dreamed of studying in the US or Australia. But when she received the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship to study in Hungary, she did not hesitate. Her older brother had already moved there a year earlier, which made the transition easier.
When Ida landed in Budapest in 2020, the world was still under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was not the best time to move abroad,” she recalls. “Classes were online, we could not meet new people, and most of the time, I felt homesick. I was happy to be there, but it was a lonely kind of happiness.”
Things slowly improved. By 2021, universities reopened, and Budapest came alive again. Ida joined Obuda University, majoring in mechatronics engineering, a demanding course that suited her love for problem-solving.
Learning Hungarian was a challenge. “It is one of the hardest languages in the world,” she says. “But Hungarians really appreciate it when you try. Even saying a few words makes them smile.”
While studying, Ida worked part-time in a restaurant, her first taste of European working life. Later, she secured a short but intense internship at an automotive company through a university partnership. “It was only one month,” she says, “but it gave me real experience in my field, and I loved it.”
After four years of hard work, she graduated in early 2024. “I graduated on a Friday and started work on Monday,” she recalls. “It all happened so fast.” But even as she began her professional life, her heart was drawn to sustainability. “I kept thinking about how technology could be used to create a cleaner, more sustainable future,” she says.
That vision took her to Italy, where she is now pursuing a Master’s degree in systems engineering at the University of Genova. “It is a broad programme,” she explains. “We study machine learning, AI, and sustainability. It is the perfect mix of everything I’m passionate about.”
Her favourite memories from Hungary are tied to travel. With her Schengen visa, she explored nearby countries, falling in love with Salzburg, Austria. “Most people go to Paris or Rome,” she says, “but small towns like Salzburg are magical. They have a calm that big cities cannot offer.”
Life abroad was not always easy, though. The cost of living in Hungary rose sharply during her stay. “When I arrived, things were cheap, and my stipend was enough,” she says. “But by 2022, prices went up, groceries shot up, and rent increased from Sh30,000 to Sh50,000. It became harder for students to manage.”
Now, as Ida settles into her new life in Italy, she feels both excited and nostalgic. “It is like starting over again,” she admits. “I had a community in Hungary, and I knew the culture. Now I am rebuilding. But that is what growth is, every move brings new lessons.”
While Ida’s story takes her across borders, Aron Rob’s journey keeps him grounded in the lab. In the serene city of Debrecen.
Aron Rob, 30, is a PhD student in Chemistry at Debrecen university in Hungary
Photo credit: Pool
When the winter sun rises over the quiet streets of Debrecen, Aron Rob begins his day surrounded by glass flasks, chemical solutions, and the hum of machines. At 30, he is a PhD student in Chemistry at the University of Debrecen in Hungary.
“It still amazes me how far I have come,” he says.
Aron, too, always dreamed of studying abroad. But the opportunity came unexpectedly. One December evening at a family Christmas party, a friend mentioned a scholarship programme in Hungary. “He knew I had been applying to the UK and the US without success,” he recalls. “He said, ‘Try Hungary, you might be surprised.’ That one conversation changed everything.”
In early 2021, Aron’s scholarship application was accepted. The visa process went smoothly, but there was one big challenge: the airfare. “The scholarship did not cover the flight,” he explains. “So my friends and family organised a small fundraiser to help me travel. That support meant everything to me.”
When Aron landed in Hungary, everything felt new and strange. The air was cold, the streets were quiet, and snow covered the rooftops. “It was my first time outside Kenya,” he says. “I remember walking through the city and realising everyone around me looked different. Even the way people spoke and behaved, it was another world.”
The first semester was tough. Though English was used at the university, daily life required basic Hungarian. Luckily, the university offered language lessons. “We learned how to ask for directions, buy food, or get a bus ticket,” he says. “Sometimes I asked my Hungarian friends to speak with me in their language just so I could listen and learn.”
Aron slowly adapted to his new home and routine. Like most international students, he worked part-time, doing small student jobs to earn extra money. “Finding work was not easy,” he admits. “Sometimes you work for a week and have no job the next week. But it taught me resilience.”
After completing his Master’s degree, Aron’s supervisor encouraged him to stay for a PhD. “He told me, ‘You already have the foundation, why not continue?’” Aron recalls. “So I applied again and got accepted. That was my sign to stay.”
Life in Hungary has changed since he first arrived. “When I came, my scholarship could cover rent and food comfortably,” he says. “Now, prices have nearly doubled. Even milk which was Sh150 now costs Sh250. For rent, it doubled from Sh15,000 to around Sh39,000. But you learn to adjust.”
Despite the challenges, Aron has grown fond of Hungarian culture. He loves goulash, a traditional stew of meat and paprika. “It’s delicious,” he says, laughing. “But I still miss chapati. I buy from other Kenyans who cook and sell it here.”
As he nears the final stages of his PhD, Aron is already planning his next steps. “I do not see myself staying in Hungary forever,” he says thoughtfully. “My family is back home, and the language is still a barrier. But I would like to work for a few years before returning to Kenya.”
Esther Muthoni, 27, is an environmental engineer at Enviprog Company in Budapest, Hungary.
Photo credit: Pool
Then there is Esther Muthoni, whose love for the environment led her from Machakos to Hungary, where she turned a Master’s degree into a fulfilling engineering career.
“I remember being amazed by the public transport,” the 27-year-old says. “Everything was so organised and reliable. And the buildings, so old, yet so beautiful. It felt like walking through history.”
She studied Environmental Science at Machakos University, graduating in 2021. After graduation, she found herself at a crossroads. “I was applying for jobs and internships, but nothing was coming through,” she recalls. “That is when I started searching for scholarships, and when I found the Stipendium Hungaricum programme, I knew it was my way out.”
In 2021, she packed her bags and headed to Hungary to pursue her Master’s degree in the same field at the University of Debrecen. The transition was not easy. The visa process tested her patience, and the thought of moving to a country where she knew no one was daunting. But once she arrived, everything seemed to fall into place.
Hungary, with its rich traditions and reserved people, was unlike anything Esther had known. “Back home, Kenyans are warm and outgoing; we talk to everyone,” she explains. “Here, people are more reserved. It took some time to understand that it is just their way.”
According to Esther, the cost of living somehow went up after Covid pandemic. In Debrecen, she used to pay around Sh15,000, but now in Budapest, she pays triple that. “Right now, for a shared apartment in Budapest, I pay about Sh46,000.”
Food was another surprise. “Hungarians eat a lot of bread and pork, and beef is very expensive,” she says. “It is the opposite of Kenya, where beef is common and affordable.” But she quickly learned to enjoy local dishes. Her favourite is gulyas, a comforting stew of meat, potatoes, and paprika. “It tastes a bit like Kenyan stew,” she says. “It reminds me of home.”
After completing her Master’s in June 2024, Esther’s next challenge was finding a job. It was not easy. “Getting a work permit as a foreigner takes time, and the language barrier makes it even harder,” she says. Still, her persistence paid off when she joined Enviprog Group as an environmental engineer earlier this year.
Between Budapest’s hot summers and icy winters, Esther has learned to adapt. “The weather can be extreme,” she says. “Sometimes it is so cold and quiet that you just miss home.” During those moments, she calls her mother. “We talk almost every day,” she says. “And I am grateful for the Kenyan community here. We go for picnics in the summer and meet in church. It feels like a little piece of home.”
One of her most unforgettable experiences was the St. Stephen’s Festival on August 20. “They project the history of Hungary on the Parliament building,” she describes. “Then fireworks light up the sky. The crowd, the music, the lights, it is magical.”
On weekends, she often explores the country. She speaks fondly of the Budapest Parliament, the serene beauty of Lake Balaton, and the Tokaj wine region, where she once attended a lively wine and palinka festival. “Each place has its own charm,” she says. “You can feel the history everywhere you go.”
Boaz Komen, 28, is a quantity surveyor and technical office engineer at Synergy Construct Debrecen, Hungary.
Photo credit: Pool
Boaz Komen is a Kenyan quantity surveyor. He left Baringo, Kenya, in 2021.
He lives in Debrecen, a quiet and vibrant city in eastern Hungary. He works as a technical office engineer and quantity surveyor with Synergy Construct Hungary KFT, a design and build company that handles major industrial projects. Among his proudest contributions are working at the BMW Giga factory in Debrecen and the CATL Battery Power Plant, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Completing his Master's in urban systems engineering from Debrecen University in 2023 was also a big achievement.
Before Hungary, Boaz worked for two years in a construction firm after graduating from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
“I worked as an assistant quantity surveyor for a while,” says the 28-year-old. “But I knew it was time to grow. I wanted to learn more, explore the world, and challenge myself.”
His initial plan was to head to the UK, but fate had other plans. He came across the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, a government programme offered through a partnership between Hungary and Kenya.
“I applied through the Ministry of Education, and a few months later, I received the scholarship,” he says. “It was one of the happiest moments of my life.”
As part of his scholarship, Boaz had to take a one-year Hungarian language course, which turned out to be one of his greatest advantages.
In Debrecen, Boaz found comfort in the Kenyan community. The group meets often to share meals, music, and laughter, a small slice of home thousands of miles away.
“When we get together, it feels like being back in Kenya,” he says. “We cook, we dance, and we talk about everything. It keeps us grounded.”
In 2022, while still finishing his studies, he landed a position with Synergy Construct, an international company that recognised his skills and passion. “Getting that job was a turning point. It showed me that hard work and persistence really do pay off.”
Food, as always, tells its own story. Boaz has become somewhat of a culinary ambassador, introducing his Hungarian colleagues to Kenyan chapati during cultural weekends at work. “They love it,” he says. “They say it tastes like Nigerian food.”
In return, he has grown fond of Hungarian soups. “My favourite is Gombaleves, mushroom soup,” he says. “And there’s this sweet cinnamon bread they sell during Christmas markets. It is amazing.”
Still, nothing compares to home. “I miss ugali and githeri, ” he says. “We have tried making githeri with Hungarian maize, but it is too sweet.”
As for the future, Boaz remains open-minded. “At the moment, I am happy in Hungary,” he says. “But if another opportunity comes up elsewhere, I will take it. Life is about growth and exploration.”
