COVID-19 surge leaves Kenyan students stranded in India

As India battles a devastating second wave of COVID-19, possibly fuelled by new strains of the virus, African students studying in the country are feeling the strain.

Thousands of students from African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Burundi study at institutions in India, where tuition is more affordable.

Many students from the East African countries have returned home, but about 300 from Kenya are still in India, according to Joshua Boit, a Kenyan student leader studying towards a PhD in media and democracy in the Indian city of Aurangabad.

Over the weekend, India recorded more than 400,000 new cases of COVID-19 a day, Reuters reported.

“So far, three students from Kenya have been infected with COVID-19 during this wave in the past seven days,” Boit said. “Two have recovered and the other one is recovering, too.”

However, students are panicking. “They have been locked down in the hostels, but the problem is the people who cook for them go outside and still come to mingle with the students,” he said.

Boit said many shops have closed due to the surge in cases of the virus. He has also witnessed many ambulances ferrying oxygen gas cylinders to help patients in hospitals.

“When panic mode set in, some people purchased the oxygen gas cylinders and stored them up for use but nobody thought of oxygen concentrators; it is so difficult and other countries have come in to help,” he said.

Many African students studying in India are from humble backgrounds, Boit said. Going home is thus not an option. Besides, most countries are still fighting the pandemic and travel is restricted.

Students staying in India are doing their best to cope with the situation.

“We are observing all COVID-19 guidelines, like washing hands, keeping social distancing and we are currently not allowing visitors in our rooms.”

Laura Nayere, a masters student in mass communication at Kurukshetra University, in the state of Haryana, 160km from the capital, Delhi, opted to study in India because she got a scholarship. She stays indoors as much as she can.

“COVID-19 is a scary thing and, of course, being in a country where cases are rising every day brings a lot of anxiety, but the most important thing is taking precautions,” she said.

“There has been encouragement from our families and the Kenyan Embassy and from fellow Kenyans here. In case of any alarming issues, we have people to reach out to,” Nayere said.

Boit said that the Kenya High Commission in New Delhi recently issued a letter to remaining students asking them to register and provide their full details for easy assistance from the embassy, as well as to gather data about new students so help could be extended where necessary.