Zim students in Cyprus: Zimbabwean students also go through rigorous medical checks that include HIV, tuberculosis and herpes - Part 3
Mary comes from a wealthy family and her story is rather different from others. Her journey since leaving home in 2016 has been smooth. She sought the services of an agency in Harare who processed all her paperwork.
Upon arrival in Northern Cyprus, I received my student letter from the university. I also stay on campus and do part time jobs just to earn a bit of my own money. My father sends money every month end and he also pays my fees, she said.
She, however, said the situation with other female students was sad.
President of the Zimbabwe Students Union (ZISU-CIU) Cyprus, Mr Collete Ruzive said universities in Cyprus, like many world institutions, outsource their advertising to agents and agencies in that country and abroad.
There are good and bad agents and agencies that sell dreams. Just like in marketing, there are ethical and unethical marketers. But the universities have websites, people normally just want to run away from Zimbabwe and do not pose and sober up to do research and match expectations to realities. But through social media platforms like Facebook, people can inquire from people on the ground and alumni who have been there, he said.
He said the main problems students face in Northern Cyprus have been to do with challenges most had back home.
When most thought they ran away, those challenges followed. Cyprus is a small Island with no industry of any sort, but mainly strives on tourism and education. So preference for the few good jobs that come goes to locals and all the dirty and donkey work remains for students. These include construction and farm work, Ruzive said.
He said the working conditions were extremely bad with no protective clothing. He also said students work up to 12 hours per day for a small wage.
It’s not easy to get part-time work here. With that backdrop, many Zimbabweans who come with ulterior motives other than education have their hopes dashed.
Some Zimbabwean parents send their children here with the hopes that they will work and fend for themselves and that’s almost impossible here, he said.
He added that being a foreign student means they rely much on support from back home.
So if things are well for parents, they would be well for students in foreign land. Government has put plugs on sending of money outside Zimbabwe. Parents have to buy foreign currency on the black market at high rates. Think of what young girls will end up doing if a parent fails to support her, he said.
He said some students have been assisted by organisations like Careshare, a group of fellow students.
Careshare collects food, sanitary pads, clothes from the haves to assist the have not’s. In worst cases, the society calls for donations to raise airfares so that those who are stranded can return to Zimbabwe, he said.
How agencies benefit
A Zimbabwean national Ralph James Martins who is based in Northern Cyprus left Zimbabwe in 2015 and is believed to have recruited more than 500 Zimbabwean students getting a commission for his role.
Information gathered by The Herald revealed that each company or individual who brings a student to Northern Cyprus Universities is paid between 10-15 percent of total money the student would have contributed towards studies.
This has compelled agents to lie to students about the realities of life in Northern Cyprus.
The agents also deceive parents and guardians and students of merit based and sibling scholarships which they say are awarded to students that will study in North Cyprus and that students can easily get jobs during studies.
Some greedy Zimbabweans based in Northern Cyprus and have connections also allegedly take stranded students whom would have found their own way there and register them as having been facilitated by them.
As a result, the university authorities give those agents a commission for the role.
At these universities, tuition fees are charged depending on degree programme and on whether a student is using boarding facilities which range from economy, standard to upmarket flats and apartments.
Since the boarding facilities attract different costs, agents usually opt to place students in high value apartments in order to obtain more from the percentage payment that the universities give them per student.
At some point, the universities misrepresented that they will offer merit based and sibling scholarships but nothing of that sort is delivered upon arrival.
The merit based scholarships are purportedly given to outstanding brilliant students and the sibling scholarship is for students from the same family.
Zimbabwean students also go through rigorous medical checks that include HIV, tuberculosis and herpes.
Those found positive of any of the three diseases are immediately quarantined while awaiting deportation while those who pass the tests get a student letter they use to get student visa of $150 per year.
Students who fail to raise fees for the semester are allowed to defer studies by freezing the semester and pay 250 Euros for that first semester in order to resume studies.
A further 500 Euros will be charged for the second semester before student is struck off the register.
Students end up paying 1 550 Euros for the semester so that they clear fees arrears including accommodation and dining facilities they would not have accessed.
The universities also allegedly hold on to students original academic certificates until they pay up their outstanding arrears.
Some students have been promised sibling scholarships which never materialised.
The most affected students are orphans who would have sold inherited properties to travel and become destitute on arrival and never attended class in the past three years.
The majority of stranded students whose parents suffer from social pressure also hail from high density suburbs.
ZAOGA church pastor, Hillary Mwale who is based in Northern Cyprus has also been helping more than 300 Zimbabwean students who attend church in Kyrenia Town.
If they could, the students would reset time and go back to the day they chose to study in Northern Cyprus.
The Herald, Zimbabwe
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