EATING HABITS AMONG STUDENTS IN CAMPUS
By Maritim Kipngetich
Having something to eat may not be an easy task among some university students. The students have had to survive with meager Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) loans during their time in school. Having three meals a day among some students is a luxury.
The students said the only time they can have three meals a day is when they receive funds from Helb. Other days of the semester, they have to survive with the money from their parents.
Davis Karori is a second year economic student at the University of Nairobi and he said his parents have to send him maize flour from home every Friday.
“I normally receive maize flour from home every Friday and that has enabled me to survive throughout the week. My parents saw it better to send me flour because my home is in Kiambu which is about 80 kilometres from the university,” he said.
He added that his uncle is a matatu driver who operates the route from Kiambu town to Nairobi and he has been assisting him in delivering maize flour free of charge.
“My uncle is a driver. He has helped me a lot in bringing flour from home. My parents cannot afford transport and I am very grateful to my uncle Sammy,” he said.
Despite the fact that Davis receives flour from home everyday, he has other challenges like buying vegetables which he says it cost him 100 shillings per day.
Asked whether he has received Helb loan, he said he received only ones when he was in first year and since then he has been applying but he cannot succeed.
“It is an elusive moment when you are visited by a friend and you don’t have anything to give him or her to eat,” Davis said.
Davis said he is better than his roommates since he can have a meal three times a day. He said two of his colleagues have had to survive by skipping lunch time meals.
“I am far much better than other students I live with in my room. They mostly cook at 4:00p.m so that they can avoid cooking for supper,” he said.
Mike Mutai, popularly known as double m, said they had to pressurize a roommate, who used to mix sugar and chocolate in cold water and take every morning, to buy a kettle heater.
“We had to force him to buy a kettle heater so that he can use to boil water to make breakfast,” Mike said.
Mike said, his roommate never cooks meals in the room instead he buys food from the university cafeteria
“The only place he can have food is in the school restaurant,” he said.
Although some students survive with little food they get, there are some who come from well-endowed families and they can afford to buy any type of meal they want. Those students have money to spend and therefore they can even change the diet whenever they wish to or when they have visitors.
“When I am with my girlfriend I can spend as much as 500 shillings per meal. I should provide her a decent meal because she deserves it,” Gedison Mwangi, a first year Bachelor of Arts student, said.
Mwagi said he spends not less than 150 shillings per meal.
“There is no day I have used less than 150 shillings per meal not unless it is breakfast which sometimes cost me 120 shillings,” he said.
He added that he has never used the university cafeteria because he thinks that it provides simple food. Instead he prefers having meals in the hotels outside the university. He said he also likes when he cook in his hostel room.
“I rather cook in my room than have meals in the cafeteria. In many instances I buy foodstuffs from Uchumi Supermarket and keep them in my room so that I cook whenever I feel like cooking,” he said.
Having something to eat may not be an easy task among some university students. The students have had to survive with meager Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) loans during their time in school. Having three meals a day among some students is a luxury.
The students said the only time they can have three meals a day is when they receive funds from Helb. Other days of the semester, they have to survive with the money from their parents.
Davis Karori is a second year economic student at the University of Nairobi and he said his parents have to send him maize flour from home every Friday.
“I normally receive maize flour from home every Friday and that has enabled me to survive throughout the week. My parents saw it better to send me flour because my home is in Kiambu which is about 80 kilometres from the university,” he said.
He added that his uncle is a matatu driver who operates the route from Kiambu town to Nairobi and he has been assisting him in delivering maize flour free of charge.
“My uncle is a driver. He has helped me a lot in bringing flour from home. My parents cannot afford transport and I am very grateful to my uncle Sammy,” he said.
Despite the fact that Davis receives flour from home everyday, he has other challenges like buying vegetables which he says it cost him 100 shillings per day.
Asked whether he has received Helb loan, he said he received only ones when he was in first year and since then he has been applying but he cannot succeed.
“It is an elusive moment when you are visited by a friend and you don’t have anything to give him or her to eat,” Davis said.
Davis said he is better than his roommates since he can have a meal three times a day. He said two of his colleagues have had to survive by skipping lunch time meals.
“I am far much better than other students I live with in my room. They mostly cook at 4:00p.m so that they can avoid cooking for supper,” he said.
Mike Mutai, popularly known as double m, said they had to pressurize a roommate, who used to mix sugar and chocolate in cold water and take every morning, to buy a kettle heater.
“We had to force him to buy a kettle heater so that he can use to boil water to make breakfast,” Mike said.
Mike said, his roommate never cooks meals in the room instead he buys food from the university cafeteria
“The only place he can have food is in the school restaurant,” he said.
Although some students survive with little food they get, there are some who come from well-endowed families and they can afford to buy any type of meal they want. Those students have money to spend and therefore they can even change the diet whenever they wish to or when they have visitors.
“When I am with my girlfriend I can spend as much as 500 shillings per meal. I should provide her a decent meal because she deserves it,” Gedison Mwangi, a first year Bachelor of Arts student, said.
Mwagi said he spends not less than 150 shillings per meal.
“There is no day I have used less than 150 shillings per meal not unless it is breakfast which sometimes cost me 120 shillings,” he said.
He added that he has never used the university cafeteria because he thinks that it provides simple food. Instead he prefers having meals in the hotels outside the university. He said he also likes when he cook in his hostel room.
“I rather cook in my room than have meals in the cafeteria. In many instances I buy foodstuffs from Uchumi Supermarket and keep them in my room so that I cook whenever I feel like cooking,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment