CONCERN is growing over the number of university students left to virtually starve after struggling to pay tuition fees or being the recipients of scholarships for the needy that only cover tuition.

An informal count showed that scores of students are facing severe nutrition challenges, though many shy away from discussing it due to varied reasons, among them, pride.

One young man, who spoke with the Jamaica Observer on condition of anonymity, was in tears as he gave a detailed account of his experience as a student who is on scholarship but still struggling to purchase meals and finance transportation to attend classes.

“I am on a scholarship that just covers education. In terms of meals, transport, and other amenities, those are not covered, so I have to find other ways.

“I have to be constantly making new friends. Some I know well, some I don’t know very well, but they are aware of my situation and help out. After tuition was paid, I asked for an extension or further help and kept hearing ‘no’. I have gone to other persons who I think could help and keep getting the same answer,” he said as his voice lowered to a mere whisper.

The student, who is pursuing management studies at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, has lived a life of hardship which involved constant uprooting and moving from depressed areas such as Central Village, Maxfield, August Town, and Arnett Gardens. He also has the experience of living on the streets, sleeping on floors and finding shelter in a church when he and his mother had nowhere else to go.

His reality meant he could not attend university unless he received assistance, and though he is appreciative of the help he has received thus far with his scholarship, he second-guesses his decision due to difficulty finding food and money to travel to school.

On a typical day, he snacks or begs for money in order to purchase meals and toiletries. When that does not work he resorts to bearing the hunger pains while navigating the terrains of higher education.

He has had to think of unique ways to ensure he attends classes. These include sleeping in the library and spending time in the campus accommodation of friends — a common practice, akin to squatting, which is prohibited.

“I think a lot more could be done in terms of monitoring students and their welfare. I don’t think a lot is being done. I am currently living in a poverty-stricken area and can hardly find transport. My scholarship covers tuition but it does not cover boarding, meals and books. A lot are out there in very disadvantaged situations and can’t talk or are afraid to talk. They just focus on their lessons for fear that the tuition aid they receive will be taken away from them. They have a story to tell,” he said.

Further, the student said, though statistics elude him, many students drop out because of this situation.

“There are students who are covered regarding tuition and still can’t afford to come to school as they don’t have the means for transportation or food. In some instances they are the breadwinners of their families and in school struggling. It affects your focus in sessions. I have seen persons in lectures trying to focus on lessons but because they have these issues worrying them it causes some kind of pressure and stress on them. I am not exempted from that. To do well you need a good meal, and we are deprived of that a lot of the times.

“Many have gone through and are successful, but many have also gone and are disadvantaged by the opportunity. What’s the sense you are going to university and leave with a personality not marketable because you had to stay in a corner trying to figure out life and not truly getting the chance to interact and develop? You might not see hunger as a factor, but it plays a role. If I am hungry the last thing I may be thinking about is being sociable,” he shared.

But, there is a window of opportunity for relief through the GK Campus Connect Food Bank established in April 2019 at The UWI Mona to provide food packages to needy students through a campaign “Feed the Future”. The initiative, which is sponsored by GraceKennedy Foundation, is the brainchild of Norval Mendez and Claudine Reid. As undergraduates at UWI, they provided small food packages to needy students at UWI through the ‘Hands Across the Hall Action Project’.

A high level of demand led them to approach GraceKennedy with a proposal to expand the project, and in 2018 GraceKennedy Foundation alongside the Hands Across the Hall Action Project, the UWI Guild of Students, the UWI’s Office of Student Services, and University of Technology Jamaica’s (UTech) Financial Aid Office, partnered to establish the food bank.

The GK Campus Connect Food Bank is a collaborative effort spanning both The UWI and UTech.

Caroline Mahfood, executive director of the GraceKennedy Foundation told the Jamaica Observer that, while the figures are anecdotal, the issue of food insecurity among higher education students is real.

“University students are facing hunger. With regards to the data about hunger on campus, there is not a lot. It is anecdotal. I don’t think anybody is collecting that information, and we need to. We need to know what we are dealing with on these campuses. I know that students are hungry, I know it’s a big issue,” Mahfood said.

“Students face hunger as they cannot find funds to meet basic daily requirements, such as food, after they have paid monies owed to their institutions. Even those on scholarship find it difficult as the scholarships most times do not cover meals. I know that when we don’t give a full scholarship to a student, when we give money, it might just cover their tuition but it’s not really helping them with food and those things. I have heard stories of students who have to drop an icy mint in a cup with warm water and have tea.”

In the case of the student who shared his story, when Mahfood heard about it she agreed to assist the student with groceries from the food bank and a grant to help with transportation.

Further, Mahfood said after being approached by Mendez and Reid her foundation approached Grace Foods, which resulted in a commitment to supply $1 million worth of goods to the food bank each year. However, she made an impassioned plea for individuals to donate to the food bank in HiLo stores by placing non-perishable items in the Feed the Future drum.

“Our campaign is called Feed the Future, so when people shop we ask them to buy an extra tin of mackerel, an extra tuna, and donate it to the drum, and then we collect those goods and disburse them to students. Students who could be doing a lot better are not because they are struggling with hunger. We opened the first food bank in April this year. Ideally we want to expand to other universities, but we have to have our systems in place in terms of receiving goods, scanning goods, tracking inventory. At all the universities there are students struggling. I encourage people to support it. A tin of HiLo mackerel costs $65. That costs nothing when you’re shopping to put a few tins in and help students. Right now donation boxes are at all HiLo’s in Kingston and are branded as ‘Feed the Future’,” she said.

In addition, individuals overseas who wish to assist may contribute US$50 to purchase a Good Graces Barrel to assist a student with groceries for the month. This can be done through Sampars online platform at www.shopsampars.com. University students who wish to benefit must be approved by UWI’s Office of Student Financing or UTech’s Financial Aid Office. More information can be found at ccfoodbank.com.

Moreover, Mahfood said GraceKennedy Foundation remains committed to education and, in addition to the $20 million spent on scholarships at UWI, UTech, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, and Caribbean Maritime University, healthy lifestyle is also a priority.

“This falls right into that category as to how we can support people to eat, have nutritious meals, reduce hunger, and food insecurity. If you’re not eating well you can’t do well in school,” he said.