Having to share a room is nothing strange at the University of Zambia (UNZA), Zambia’s highest institution of learning. The institution currently has 3775 available bed spaces against about 20, 000 enrolled students. Lack of accommodation in many high learning institutions in Zambia is a common phenomenon, one that has gone unchecked by different sitting governments for many years.
3775 beds paces against about 20,000 students would tempt the question, «where do the rest of the unaccommodated students sleep or stay?» Many unaccommodated students have resorted to «squatting» (sharing a bed space) with accommodated students.
I am a third year Mass Communication student at the University of Zambia, sharing a bed space with four other students. I consider this situation as a blessing in my life, describing it as an opportunity that has given me ‹sisters from other mothers›.
We are five in my room, yes five and it is not a bad thing as other people may think of it to be. The four ladies and I are like sisters; I would say we live like one big family.
The main purpose of university education is to attain academic excellence. However, university education offers more than just academic life, it also offers students the opportunity to socialise and interact, life lessons that can never be taught in a classroom setting.
With a total of five ladies in the room, there is a lot of knowledge and information sharing on life lessons ranging from cooking recipes, skin care, and hair maintenance.
In a room full of girls like mine, I never worry about going to the salon to do my hair. I have my roommate Beauty –‹the Beautician›, she is responsible for our everyday look from nails, hair and clothes. Her ‹fashionistic› touch is enough to turn us into princesses.
Such a room with five beautiful girls can never have a wardrobe ‹malfunction›. Wardrobe malfunction is a thing we rarely experience. Whatever the occasion, we know one of the girls has the right outfit for it.
Being many in a room is advantage in terms of academics as assignments are proof read four times before being submitting to lectures. How can such a situation be a curse or problem? In fact, apart from assignments, we also share knowledge on different topics in different fields as each of us is pursuing a different career, different field.
My roommate and friend, Ngawa Makonde says, «staying in a crowded room is nothing strange because in most Zambian homes, families live with many other relatives, it is who we are as Africans; we take care of each other.»
Miss Ngawa, who is also a third year student adds, «we should always bear in mind that Zambia is a third world country, if we want to emulate our friends in the west and stay two people per room, where will the rest stay?»
«What sets us apart from everyone else is that we share the spirit of ‹Ubuntu› (togetherness) to the rest of the world. Five per room is unhygienic but to us it is a unifying factor, a form of togetherness,» she explains.
«They give me relationship advice and understand my relationship situations better because we are of the same age. We are one family even if we come from different homes and backgrounds. When we are at school, we are more than just friends, we are sisters,» she adds.
Overcrowding in most universities and schools is seen as a curse, a problem that needs to be eradicated. Having five people staying on one bed space is unhygienic, and uncalled for in many sectors of society. But what can one do if such a problem hits them? You can only embrace it and make the best out of it.
Overcrowding is a problem, but for me and the girls it is a blessing in disguise.
