Seventy-five percent of the clients at Thornaby’s Sprouts Community Food Charity (SCFC) are now Nigerian students grappling with financial difficulties, charity manager Debbie Fixter revealed. The charity, which offers food, clothes, and household items, has experienced a surge in Nigerian students seeking help.
Fixter told BBC News that the charity has reached its “maximum capacity.” SCFC reported a shift in its clientele in recent months, with the majority of visitors being Nigerian master’s degree students from Teesside University.
Nigerian students in the United Kingdom have recently been making headlines, with some being blocked from continuing their studies and ordered to return to Nigeria due to unpaid tuition fees. The devaluation of the Nigerian currency has reportedly wiped out some students’ savings, forcing them to cut back on essentials.
Fixter noted that an increasing number of Nigerian students in the UK are turning to community charities and organizations for much-needed assistance. “They’re really struggling, they need help, and they’re part of our community,” she said.
Boluwatife Elusakin, a Nigerian student in the UK, told the BBC that he has had to “dive deep” to afford the cost of living and studying in the UK. “Things are no longer the same, 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,” he said.
Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, criticized the university for changing its payment plans from seven installments to three, exacerbating the problem. He also pointed out that students hoping to find jobs to fill funding gaps are limited by the number of hours they are 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. 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 are facing difficulties. When you don’t have funds in your pocket, frustration sets in and many are experiencing mental health issues. Some wish they had never come.”
Fixter emphasized that more needs to be done to address the crisis, stating that SCFC is currently at “maximum capacity” and struggling to meet the demand for assistance.
