Many Foreign Students Going Hungry as Recession Chips Away Funds
Many foreign students are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet in Finland. The recession is making it even harder for them to pay their bills, and many are even going hungry.
The crisis among foreign students has come to light in vocational colleges in Ostrobothnia, where stress over dwindling funds and lack of proper nutrition have resulted in a spike in illness among foreign students.
Non-EU citizen are not allowed student visas unless they can prove they have 6,000 euros in funds for their stay. But this money is quickly drained by rents and expenses, the extent of which often takes foreigners by surprise.
Most students plan to work part-time to earn cash, but jobs have dried up recently as companies tighten their belts, lay off employees, and cut the number of internships and summer jobs they offer.
African and Asian Students Hardest Hit
For many people visiting from Africa and Asia, phoning the parents for some extra cash isn't an option. Wage levels at home tend to be too low to support a Finnish lifestyle. And with a dearth of student jobs on offer, worries about money, and where the next meal is coming from, are interfering with studies.
"I open a book, but I can't read," says Nigerian tourism and hospitality student Bobby Omovegie.
"The only thing I can think about is that money is going out but not coming in from anywhere. I'm very disappointed in the situation. If I had known about the bad employment situation, I could have prepared in a different way to come here."
The vocational college in Pietarsaari that Omovegie is attending is now preparing more information for prospective foreign students. The school will be sending pamphlets with detailed information about expenses in Finland, as well as how the recession has affected the job market.
"Some current students might have to drop out, but hopefully next year's class will have better information about employment," says Helena Åkerlund, department head of the school.
Some Help from School and Community
The travel and hospitality school, once it realized the crisis of its foreign students, began contacting local employers and organisations in an attempt to arrange part-time jobs. Ten out of 45 foreign students at the school are now employed.
A Nepalese student, for example, was employed at a local camp ground. An Ethiopian student found a resident Ethiopian to help arrange a job at a factory.
The school has also arranged for a few free meals, which Omovegie says is a welcome boost.
YLE