Nigerian students seeking help from food charity

Debbie Fixter and the team at Sprouts Community Food Charity help their community by providing food, clothes, activities and other support for little or no cost, Nigerian students hit by a financial crisis make up the majority of clients at a food charity, its manager has said.

An economic crash in Nigeria left international students struggling to afford tuition fees, with some at Teesside University blocked from their studies and ordered to return home.

Manager Debbie Fixter said 75% of clients at Thornaby's Sprouts Community Food Charity (SCFC) were affected students and the situation had pushed it to "maximum capacity".

The university said it was providing support and international applicants must provide evidence of sufficient funds when applying for a visa.
SCFC organises a range of activities and offers food for free or at low cost, along with clothes and household items.

Over the course of recent months, the charity said its clientele had noticeably changed with the majority of those visiting being Nigerian masters degree students from Teesside University.

Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, with the value of the naira depreciating by more than 200% against the dollar in the past 12 months.

As a result, students at UK universities have seen their savings wiped out and budgets suddenly and significantly reduced, leaving them struggling to afford the cost of living.

Some have subsequently been ordered to leave the UK after struggling to pay their tuition fees on time, as reported by the BBC this month.

But Teesside University continues to recruit students in Nigeria, according to a spokesman.

'Part of our community'
An increasing number of students who come to the UK are turning to community charities and organisations for much-needed help, according to SCFC manager Ms Fixter.

"They're really struggling, they need help and they're part of our community," she said.
Client Boluwatife Elusakin said he has had to "dive deep" to afford the cost of living and studying in the UK.

Nigeria's economic crisis means he is having to spend double what he had budgeted.

"Things are no longer the same," he said.
"I've had to cut costs because of the currency crash, it hit my savings as I'd already budgeted funds to come here.
"It makes me feel sad, but I hope I can endure just one year and all will be well."

Boluwatife Elusakin said he has been worried about his friends
Another student, who did not want to be named, said the university's change to payment plans - from seven instalments to three - had exacerbated problems.

He said students who hoped to find jobs to help plug funding gaps were limited by the amount of hours they were legally allowed to work.
"When I was applying, the exchange rate was around 600 naira per pound, but by the time I arrived, it was 1,400," he added.
"At the time we filled out forms, we had proof of funds to cater for nine months.
"But the money is not enough, you don't have a job or the means to get one, the little you have is depleting and a lot of us have difficulties.
"When you don't have funds in your pocket, frustration sets in and a lot are having mental issues.
"Some wish they had never come."

'Maximum capacity'
Ms Fixter said her charity was currently at "maximum capacity" as a result of the situation and called on Teesside University to offer more support.
She said the university had so far been proactive and offered a welcome £500 donation of Sainsbury's vouchers after being informed of the situation, but called it a "drop in the ocean" in terms of what was needed to support the influx of students at the charity.
The university said it worked closely with community organisations to signpost students back to its own support services and had provided vouchers and contributions to ensure the organisations could offer support to students.

"Teesside University remains a popular destination for students from across the world who choose to study here because of its global reputation for excellence in teaching and research," a spokesman added.

"All international applicants need to provide evidence that they have sufficient funds to cover tuition fees and living costs as part of the visa application process."
The university is offering "case by case" support to those affected by the situation in Nigeria.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cljjwg5dw34o

As a result, students at UK universities have seen their savings wiped out and budgets suddenly and significantly reduced, leaving them struggling to afford the cost of living.

He said students who hoped to find jobs to help plug funding gaps were limited by the amount of hours they were legally allowed to work.
"When I was applying, the exchange rate was around 600 naira per pound, but by the time I arrived, it was 1,400," he added.

It is unfortunate but the reality is that Nigeria can't keep using our hard earned forex to defend the naira against the USD to please the few among us while over a hundred million of other Nigerians suffer.

I knew that the chaotic and reckless manner people were leaving their jobs here and selling their properties in the name of japa will put them in a serious problem.

Some of these Nigerians trapped overseas willfully made a wrong bet that the foreign exchange will continue to be subsidized against the naira to keep dollars cheap with our hard earned forex, held in trust by the CBN for all Nigerians, to defend the naira for the few among us while those charged to do so steal us blind.
For Pete's sake, it was obvious that it's not sustainable to keep buying forex at subsidized rates. We didn't even have enough forex!

The good thing is that all hope is not lost yet, the current administration is committed to floating the naira, taking away the huge subsidies which depletes our earnings. In the meantime, they can take a break to work overseas or Japa-da to continue with the better life some had in Nigeria but never appreciated perhaps till now.
May God bless Nigeria for ever! Check my signature for free stuffs!

Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, with the value of the naira depreciating by more than 200% against the dollar in the past 12 months.

FREESTUFFNG....

You claim Tinubu is doing well... Why are you a bloody liar and Propagandist?

Why is a well know agbadorian creating this type of thread.? Tinupoo is a failure

Very True !!!

Tinubu Calamity has cought up with them 😡

Anti japa thread by an agbadorian ended up scoring an own goal. They are in this mess due to devaluation by the clueless Tinubu.

You will never hear this kind of news about USA students.

UK is just another glorified 3rd world country. How student no go fit get some hustle off campus or even tuition assistance to support them? Graduate school for that matter.

No graduate assistantship, no teaching assistantship, no tuition remission, no graduate school funds, no on campus job, no off campus care or gas jobs, no eatery jobs.

So if you’re gonna depend on your parent or family in Nigeria for 2 years tuition of almost 24k pounds, then that means you’re rich in Nigeria before.

How many UK citizens even fit afford that amount out of pocket?

To add on top am, they still won’t allow you to bring dependent easily again to work and support. So why are you blasting almost 40k pounds on UK admission/processing/bank statements/housing/bills/feeding when you’ll eventually end up begging for ordinary food?

FreeStuffsNG:
As a result, students at UK universities have seen their savings wiped out and budgets suddenly and significantly reduced, leaving them struggling to afford the cost of living.

He said students who hoped to find jobs to help plug funding gaps were limited by the amount of hours they were legally allowed to work.
"When I was applying, the exchange rate was around 600 naira per pound, but by the time I arrived, it was 1,400," he added.

It is unfortunate but the reality is that Nigeria can't keep using our hard earned forex to defend the naira against the USD to please the few among us while over a hundred million of other Nigerians suffer.

I knew that the chaotic and reckless manner people were leaving their jobs here and selling their properties in the name of japa will put them in a serious problem.

Some of these Nigerians trapped overseas willfully made a wrong bet that the foreign exchange will continue to be subsidized against the naira to keep dollars cheap with our hard earned forex, held in trust by the CBN for all Nigerians, to defend the naira for the few among us while those charged to do so steal us blind.
For Pete's sake, it was obvious that it's not sustainable to keep buying forex at subsidized rates. We didn't even have enough forex!

The good thing is that all hope is not lost yet, the current administration is committed to floating the naira, taking away the huge subsidies which depletes our earnings. In the meantime, they can take a break to work overseas or Japa-da to continue with the better life some had in Nigeria but never appreciated perhaps till now.
May God bless Nigeria for ever! Check my signature for free stuffs!

You just wanted to mock Nigerians abroad because you are stuck with the hellhole government you have been supporting.

Are millions of Nigerians not suffering from the rapid currency depreciation your government has overseen? Depreciation has helped fuel inflation as the country is import-dependent.

The quality of comments on most Nairaland threads is getting more and more pitiful by the day.
It's either party, tribal or religious insults and accusations. Hardly do you find any intelligent discussion anymore.

The first person commenting up there 👆 is a big fool. Talking trash. Agbadorians are really senseless.

U.K. is stylishly becoming second Malaysia where they only want to suck you dry as a student but won’t allow you to work. How will a masters student not able to work for enough hours to foot his bills. Now, they’ve even scrapped dependence. Nigerians should stop spending huge amount of money to study in U.K. when there are other cheaper countries you can study. U.K. is taking undue advantage of the japa trend to milk Nigerians of their money.

Watinhapen:
U.K. is stylishly becoming second Malaysia where they only want to suck you dry as a student but won’t allow you to work. How will a masters student not able to work to foot his bills. Nigerians should stop spending huge amount of money to study in U.K. when there are other cheaper countries you can study. U.K. is take undue advantage of the japa trend to milk Nigerians of their money.

God bless you. It’s like you’re seeing what I’m seeing too.

To even start with, how do you expect student to be able to afford almost $16-$24k for a full masters program on their own without provision for some form of either tuition assistance or free access to some jobs or leniency in out of campus stuffs. Those student will still rent houses, pay bills, and etc.

FG have been subsidizing dollar for us which explained why people believed it is okay to just put down almost 24k pounds coupled with another almost 5m on processing and bank account props.

How many UK citizens even fit pay that amount? Even for America here, almost all American student got student loan which they use to support school except international graduate students that have luck with GA, TAs, Tuition Remission, and grad school assistance.

UK don cast. All my guys wey dey there self wan japa come USA. Even Canada self don dey get Kleg. But people won’t understand.

This one wey never leave he region before join dey talk.

Gloryfied 3rd world country..... Cho cho cho...open mouth waaa like pregnant fish dey talk wetin you no Sabi. You don travel go UK before? NIGERIA get charity wey fit foreigners foods and other needs free?

The truth is glaring, the Mandate tief in Aso Rock has ruined Plans and prestige of many people including his supporters abroad who now resort to begging to survive!

Pray tell, which leader in the world would lead a catastrophic rise in inflation, two hundred percent and still survive? Only in Nigeria because because too many dumbnits are not scarce to support!

LegendHero:
You will never hear this kind of news about USA students.

UK is just another glorified 3rd world country. How student no go fit get some hustle off campus or even tuition assistance to support them? Graduate school for that matter.

No graduate assistantship, no teaching assistantship, no tuition remission, no graduate school funds, no on campus job, no off campus care or gas jobs, no eatery jobs.

So if you’re gonna depend on your parent or family in Nigeria for 2 years tuition of almost 24k pounds, then that means you’re rich in Nigeria before.

How many UK citizens even fit afford that amount out of pocket?

To add on top am, they still won’t allow you to bring dependent easily again to work and support. So why are you blasting almost 40k pounds on UK admission/processing/bank statements when you’ll eventually end up begging for ordinary food?

Bigkoko:
This one wey never leave he region before join dey talk.

Gloryfied 3rd world country..... Cho cho cho...open mouth waaa like pregnant fish dey talk wetin you no Sabi. NIGERIA get charity wey fit foreigners foods and other needs free?

The truth is glaring, the Mandate tief in Aso Rock has ruined Plans and prestige of many people including his supporters abroad who now resort to begging to survive!

Pray tell, which leader in the world would lead a catastrophic rise in inflation, two hundred percent and still survive? Only in Nigeria because because too many dumbnits are not scarce to support!

This argument is beyond your intellect. When it’s time to argue without using brain power, we will call you.

That what we do

Kafirbigot:
Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, with the value of the naira depreciating by more than 200% against the dollar in the past 12 months.

FREESTUFFNG....

You claim Tinubu is doing well... Why are you a bloody liar and Propagandist?

I don't understand that FreeStuffs moniker.
Deceiving himself and his likes with misplaced optimism in this clueless administration.

Any supporter of Tinubu's policies should ask themselves; what if, instead of BAT, it was GEJ or Obi that was in power carrying out these exact same actions? Will they still support the government then?

I think we all know the answer to that question...

No be today. Nigerians are shameless humans

LegendHero:


This argument is beyond your intellect. When it’s time to argue without using brain power, we will call you.

Guy take ur dustbin argument and intellect 2 tinubus cleaner abeg

They never had the school fees in the first place, most of them hoped to start working immediately they got there, unfortunately work isn't easy to find in the UK with restricted hours to students

When they have nothing to say! Hahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Intellects that chooses bad over good, a drug offender over a squeaky clean businessman, a clueless, incompetent dictator over a democrat!

Before you talk of intellect, show sign say you get Sense first by behaving like a sane, do-well human!

Before you talk of glorified 33rdW.... First travel, then behave like who get sense!

Anyway, anyone who supported Buhari twice back to back and then Asiwaju can support a domestic donkey!

LegendHero:


This argument is beyond your intellect. When it’s time to argue without using brain power, we will call you.

Hahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 even their intellectual, the white haired cultist is planning a Japa to US after supporting the mandate tief!

This 30k per month geng dey here dey try distract us!

See where their intellect take Nigeria Economy to: Begging at home & in abroad!

HellVictorinho6:



Guy take ur dustbin argument and intellect 2 tinubus cleaner abeg

Watinhapen:
U.K. is stylishly becoming second Malaysia where they only want to suck you dry as a student but won’t allow you to work. How will a masters student not able to work for enough hours to foot his bills. Now, they’ve even scrapped dependence. Nigerians should stop spending huge amount of money to study in U.K. when there are other cheaper countries you can study. U.K. is taking undue advantage of the japa trend to milk Nigerians of their money.

In fairness to the UK, they asked you provide proof of funds to show you can pay school fees and maintain yourself in the UK before comming over. The limited work time allowed is just to be complimentary and not a focus of funding. But alas, we know the main intention of majority of Nigerians going to UK for schooling is to use that as a japa route, hoping to rough the schooling and get a job after that to keep them and their family there, especially the kids. So when you say there are cheaper places to do masters, note those places are not where the wish to "japa" to.
Most proof of funds we know is arranged, they cannot really afford the schooling, when you then join it with the devastating effects of tinubus devaluation of the naira, even those that had property to sell here for the money to be sent to them, have seen those property now worthless.
2022 August, I bought 4k pounds at 560 naira to 1 pound. 460 naira to $1.
Ie 1m gave roughly £2k. Today 1m will give you a little over £500!
No be juju be dat?

Shut up. If you have any opportunity to run out of this useless good for nothing country called Nigeria you will run.
What works in Nigeria?

4Play:


You just wanted to mock Nigerians abroad because you are stuck with the hellhole government you have been supporting.

Are millions of Nigerians not suffering from the rapid currency depreciation your government has overseen? Depreciation has helped fuel inflation as the country is import-dependent.

I wanted to say same to him before I saw your comment.
He wrote an epistle with no direction as if the depreciation of the currency is not affecting hundreds of millions of Nigerians living in Nigeria.

He goes out to farm for news about some Nigerians having challenges while closing his eyes to the several millions living in abject poverty and sufferness in Nigeria.

Bigkoko:
Hahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 even their intellectual, the white haired cultist is planning a Japa to US after supporting the mandate tief!

This 30k per month geng dey here dey try distract us!

See where their intellect take Nigeria Economy to: Begging at home & in abroad!

Sense no go finish u


But bros, debt dey disturb my brain aswear

I dey owe person 33k and e don due

Na 14k be everything wey i get

No savings

Anything u fit help me with

No 2 small


Abeg

Thanks to people who provide some cussons for the Students/Nigerians.

#This too Sha pass.

And guess what...some mumu average pipul in Nigeria are currently processing their papers to go and join an existing problem there.

It's well