By a Student in Russia
I would like to thank you for standing firm in your beliefs to give correct information to the Zambian people even at the time when everyone is praising failure so that they can be employed.
I trust you to convey this to HE Edgar C. Lungu, president of the Republic of Zambia, to the ministry of Education (specifically deputy minister-Chairperson of Bursaries Committee), the minister of finance and national planning, secretary to Bursaries Committee and to all authorities it may concern.
Zambian students in Russia have not received their top up allowances. The Bursaries Committee was supposed to pay students at the beginning of the academic year, it has, however, been 2 months now.
At the beginning of every academic year, students are required to pay for visa extension, medical policy and accommodation. While failure to pay for the latter leads to eviction from hostels, the former are offenses that lead to expulsion and deportation.
“These months have been hard for us. We have exhausted all our sources of income. We are starving, and we cannot borrow anymore- our Zimbabwean creditors are waiting for us to settle our debts. We have no money for bus fares anymore. It is affecting our performance in the university. The situation is bad.”
When student representatives contacted the secretary to the Bursaries Committee, she said that the BC has not been funded and she has no idea as to when the funds will be made available.
I have no idea who is sitting on the funding. However, I plead to HE Edgar C. Lungu, president of Zambia to look into the welfare of foreign students. Whether funding is coming from the ministry of finance or education, I appeal to the president to help us. I ask you to show us love as your children, as children of Zambia who are suffering abroad trying to acquire an education that they could not probably get in our motherland. I, sadly, remind you that most scholarship students abroad are coming from poor families and they completely depend on the top up allowances for their survival.
I would like to stress that if students do not pay for their hostels, they will be evicted from hostels. If they do not renew their visas, they will be deported. If they are discovered that they do not have medical policies, they will be deported. If they do not have money for their bus fares, they will be missing classes and that will lead to expulsion. If they starve,…while I do not know what happens to them.
Thank you.
By Zambian student in Russia