Fall out: The Soldier Bishop Exits | Page 29

I remember when I was a first year student in campus I used to wonder how a close friend of mine owned expensive items, some that even some working families could not afford; a 40 inch TV, a microwave, a fridge, sofa sets and a high quality music system. *Brian would not even eat at the college mess; he bought food at the supermarket. On the other hand I just managed to secure a two sharing room in the college hostels and all I owned was an electronic kettle and a small radio. I visit him, out of curiosity, with one wish, that he could give me the secret of being ‘rich’. Maybe his parents were so rich or he had a part time job he had never told me about. What he told me however was the least of my expectations. Brian makes his own fee structure and gives it to his parents. He adds thousands of shillings to the actual fee, for instance last semester the fee was 70 thousand his fee structure read 140 thousand. I thought he was crazy and told him so. I actually get worried for him, what if his parents come to know? “I know what am doing is wrong and if my parents know this I will be in deep hot soap but am doing this to fit in my peer, I want to see myself superior over my friends” he retorts. These are just examples of how incredulous ways to get money. Some have opted to snatching people’s mobile phones at times even threatening their victims with weapons like knives. Some youth also make money from drug dealing and also gambling. Selling drugs is often part of a more generalised pattern of risk of behaviour as the youth who sell drugs also tend to use them. However not all hope is lost on campus students, there are those who have acquired financial discipline and are able to adequately survive on the loan they get from the HELB (Higher Education Loans Board) and that they get from their parents. Brenda Ann 23 is a student at Multi Media University. She tells me the money she gets from HELB and from her parents is enough for her upkeep. What do you think about the many youth who are so much after money? I ask. “I cannot judge my fellow youth who go against all odds to get money because they have their own reasons why they do so” she answers. She however encourages the youth to avoid peer pressure as it is the mother of all evils. “Choose good company, appreciate that that you have, don’t do things because others are doing and always put God first in everything that you do,” cautions Brenda Ann who is also the YCS chairlady at the University. THE SEED - VOL 25, No. 8, AUGUST 2013 29