….When we joined campus, it was such a refreshing experience. It was like going into another universe, and it felt “Alien”. But, unfortunately, the truth is that most young people are not ready for the experiences. Trust me; these realities are not what everyone had spoken of as the best moments in one`s lifetime. Campus life can be brutal!
The facts are when we join campus; we are out there all alone, far away from our parents or guardians. We suddenly have all this freedom that we have never experienced and are unprepared for. Guess What? That is when every rule under the sun is broken. The worst part of it all is that intimate relationships are idolized, overrated and considered compulsory. If you are not in a relationship, everyone will tell you about how much you are missing out, and you will start feeling invisible and low.
Once at the Uni, for many students, status change very fast. Girls become wives, and young men become husbands. The girls take on “wifey” cleaning and cooking duties, and the young men are the breadwinners of the “house”. It is quite common to hear girls in the class very anxious and worried that a lecture is taking too long. Most of them often exit the lecture room before the lesson is ended to rush home and prepare lunch or dinner for their “hubby”. Meanwhile, the parents or guardians continue to provide for their child’s rent and other necessities without knowing the cohabiting status. A lot of them will continuously lie to receive more money. Many young men also fall into illegal acts to fulfil their newly acquired life demands.
There are not many happy, young couples that l can assure you. Recently, a friend of mine was so badly beaten up by her live-in boyfriend that even over-makeup could not hide her bruises. However, when we tried to talk sense into her to end the relationship, she shut us off and remarked, “You should stop involving yourselves in a matter between people who have shared a bed.” This kind of quote, in my opinion, is what makes a lot of victims of intimate abuse suffer in toxic relationships.
Is there anything in Campus that girls dread? Yes! Pregnancy. Most girls end up using contraceptives, unprescribed, over the counter, that are dangerous to their health. Many girls have been aborted countless times.Others who can not afford the abortion drop out of their studies to play “mommy” roles while they are just children themselves. The increase in sexually transmitted diseases(STD); does not seem to scare most young ladies. In most African countries, young people do not have adequate education about contraceptives and STD`s
The number one competition in Campus is fitting in and trending. Many young ladies have relationships with old men” sponsors”, “wababa” and the young men go for older women; “wamama” sustain this posh lifestyle, paid for apartments, parties and the money. These students, unknown to their parents, usually drop out of Uni and start depending on these “shortcuts to happiness”. There have been numerous cases where being involved with these older people has led to deaths. It normally occurs once their marital partners know of the “sugar babies” affairs or when the young people blackmail their “sponsors” with exposure in exchange for more money. The young ones are murdered. The question today is: It is no longer a secret. Who is to blame?
Contributor/Blogger:
Nduta Njai: She is a second-year student at Kenya college of accounting;studying Public management and accounting. Her passion is reading and writing her daily observations. In her words: “I am A Silent Hero”
