‘We still matter,’ says Salsabeelah on Sudan, at the 40th IIUM Convocation

By, Hani Rashid

GOMBAK, 8 December 2024: Salsabeelah Khalid Osman Yousof, 24, graduated on 20 November 2024 in the 40th IIUM Convocation at IIUM Gombak, with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours). She is from Sudan, but was born and raised in Malaysia.

When asked about what is happening in Sudan right now, she explained in an exclusive interview with IIUMToday that in 2018, there was a revolution that overthrew a dictator at the time, Omar Al Bashir, who reigned for more than 30 years. Two parties came together, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under General Hemedti and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Al-Burhan. 

General Hemedti wants a military dictatorship while Al-Burhan wants democracy, which led to disagreements. The conflicts also led to humanitarian issues for health care, food, and basic human rights. Recently the RSF poisoned villagers in Al-Hilaliya resulting in 67 deaths. 

“We (in Sudan) still matter,” says Salsabeela. 

She urged everyone to be more aware of what is happening in Sudan at the moment by spreading the news on social media platforms.

When asked about her journey at the IIUM, she felt out of place when she started her degree. She had depressive episodes as she was struggling to cope with the change. Besides depression, she also struggled with anxiety. Despite having panic attacks, her lecturers were very understanding.

“Honestly it’s my lecturers, they were just so encouraging, so motivating,” said Salsabeelah when asked what motivated her to keep going.

She was unproductive at some point but managed to get professional help to cope with her depression.

Some of the valuable lessons she shared with IIUM Today were that there are people who are going to help you, and you just need to be open to receive help. She also mentioned how students should not put too much expectations on themselves, especially if it is damaging their mental health. It is important to understand the circumstances and be realistic.***