By Dr. Shadrach Kohol Iornem
Make sure you have planned your finances before you arrive. Make sure you get someone that is resident in that country to provide you with sufficient information to plan your journey.
Unfortunately, the Naija in us makes us scared of letting people know about our plans for fear that we may be witch-hunted. That’s why you will see a family share in the joy of a new baby but prior to that, they would keep the pregnancy a secret. That’s why you would rarely see someone talk about their japa plans, until they arrive.
This post is intended to help you avoid shege when you travel abroad. When I arrived in the UK, I didn’t know anyone in London, so I stayed in a hotel for one month before securing my accommodation. I was fortunate because I brought enough money based on the UK government’s guidelines on the minimum amount needed for living expenses at that time.
Recently the desire to japa has led people to travel unprepared. I have had to bailout persons who were in extremely difficult circumstances, including families with little children experiencing accommodation problems.
This is usually the experience, prior to making adequate accommodation arrangements, your best bet would be to stay at an Airbnb for the first couple of weeks unless you have someone who has offered you temporary accommodation.
The budget stipulated by the UK government suggests that the living expenses for international students studying in London should be around £1,400 per month (about N2.1M) and you are required to have this amount for up to 9 months (that’s about N19M). Getting short-term accommodation for a period of about six months will require you to provide a guarantor. Most landlords request that your guarantor must earn a salary that is at least three times the annual rent of the property. For example, if your annual rent is £12k, your guarantor’s annual salary should be £36k or more.
Sometimes you might know people and think that it is okay to stay with them, but their living and economic conditions may make it unfavourable.
My wise counsel for those who intend to japa or study is – please make sure you have sufficient funds to cater for your rent and living expenses. Also, when you arrive, look for a church, mosque or a community organization you would want to identify with and become a part of that religious or social community. That way, if you have any problems, they can point you in the right direction. The pastor of my church has on many occasions provided accommodation for new arrivals who experienced accommodation problems while fellowshipping with us.
#travel #abroad #japa #studyabroad
