• by IPS Correspondents (dar es salaam)
• Saturday, December 24, 1994
• Inter Press Service

DAR ES SALAAM, Dic 24 (IPS) - TANZANIA THIS WEEK ADMITTED THE COUNTRY'S FINANCIAL CRISIS HAD ADVERSELY AFFECTED STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD.

"WE ARE AWARE OF HARDSHIPS FACING OUR STUDENTS ABROAD. THE SITUATION IS COMPOUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S INABILITY TO MEET THEIR FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS," SAID MOHAMED BILAL, PERMANENT SECRETARY IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND HIGHER EDUCATION.

"IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, THE EUROPEAN UNION MAY GIVE 40 DOLLARS MORE TO EACH OF OUR STUDENTS TO EASE THEIR PROBLEMS," HE EXPLAINED.

THE MINISTER WAS REACTING TO REPORTS THAT MORE THAN 200 TANZANIAN STUDENTS IN THE FORMER SOVIET STATE OF UKRAINE ARE LEADING MISERABLE LIVES BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.

"FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS WE HAVE BEEN LEADING HELLISH LIVES BY BORROWING MONEY FROM OUR FELLOW STUDENTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES," ONE OF THE STUDENTS TOLD THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION (BBC) MONITORED HERE.

"IT IS PAINFUL THAT SINCE JUNE OUR GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER GIVEN US ALLOWANCES. THIS HAS MADE OUR LIVES MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, PARTICULARLY DOING ODD JOBS TO EARN A LIVING," THE STUDENT, WHO DECLINED TO BE NAMED, TOLD THE BBC.

"ON BEHALF OF MY FELLOW TANZANIAN STUDENTS HERE, I'M APPEALING TO UNESCO (U.N. EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION) TO HELP US," ADDED THE STUDENT IN AN EMOTIONAL TONE.

THE EAST AFRICAN COUNTRY HAS MORE THAN 800 STUDENTS STUDYING UNDER A GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP IN UNIVERSITIES IN BRITAIN, CANADA, CHINA, CUBA, INDIA AND THE UNITED STATES, HALF OF THEM IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.

ACCORDING TO BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS, STUDENTS STUDYING IN THE FORMER EASTERN EUROPEAN SOCIALIST COUNTRIES ARE ENTITLED TO AN ALLOWANCE OF 80 DOLLARS A MONTH, WHILE THOSE IN FORMER SOVIET UNION GET 120 DOLLARS.

HOWEVER, AFTER THE DISINTEGRATION OF COMMUNISM ALL EASTERN BLOC COUNTRIES DRAMATICALLY REDUCED THEIR STUDENTS SUPPORT SCHEMES WHICH HAD ENABLED FOREIGN STUDENTS TO LEAD COMFORTABLE LIVES.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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