Solving students’ housing problem at the NUR

SOUTHERN PROVINCE Private Sector provides solution but the costs are prohibitive Sedes Sapientiae student’s hostel is a magnificent new addition to what seems to be a rapidly increasing housing infrastructure development currently unfolding in Huye town. Run by the Benebikira Catholic Nuns, the hostel is seen as a timely intervention in addressing the accommodation problem faced by especially National University of Rwanda (NUR) female students. NUR, with a student population of around 10, 000 provides accommodation for only 30 percent of these students, leaving the 70 percent to find alternative accommodation in Butare town suburbs. “The university cannot meet all the housing needs of the students,” said Medard Runyange, the Dean of students. “We are encouraging the private sector to take advantage of the deficit in housing by constructing students’ hostels.” Responding to such an entrepreneurial gap in the market is the Benebikira Catholic Nuns. With close collaboration with university authorities, the nuns have built a 343 room girls’ only hostel with a capacity to accommodate 1,372 students. According to Sister Marie Francine Nzakamwita, the officer in-charge of the hostel, only 230 students have occupied the hostel. She attributes the low number to what students consider as prohibitive rent charges. “We charge only Rwf10, 000 per month but many students consider this offer as too high. This is the least amount we can charge if we are to meet the costs of running the hostel,” she said. “The hostels are good but the rent is too high. We receive only Rwf25, 000 per month as living allowance. With this money we have to pay for food and meet other essential needs, the Rwf.10, 000 rent cannot fit in this limited allowance package ,” said one female student who preferred anonymity.While students accommodated by the university pay Rwf.4,000 per month, authorities at the Sedes Sapientiae student’s hostel ruled out revising their rents. “We are paying for water, electricity and cleaning, this is the minimum we can charge if we are to do business,” said Sister Marie Francine. On why the hostels cannot admit male students, Sister Marie Francine said that they are committed to helping female students alone. “We are not looking at only housing them [girls] but also guiding them and helping them grow into responsible citizens. Male students are not part of our mission,” she said. The officer in-charge hinted on the possibility of renting out housing space to the general public if the students fail to occupy the rooms. “This is a business; we have to get returns from our investment. If students cannot occupy the rooms we will have to find other ways of putting them to use. We could decide to rent them out to the public but the students remain our priority,” she added. Life at the hostel The hostel runs a cafeteria service, provides a reading room and a multi-purpose hall for recreation services to meet the needs of the students. But it is also run under a strict code of conduct. Gates are closed by midnight and no outside visitors are allowed inside. “We had problems with some students who preferred to move freely in and out at anytime. If one has a reason to keep her out late, she has to inform us in advance,” said Sister Marie Francine. According to one student only identified as Angela, the hostel meets all her needs. “It is a quiet place and a good place to do private study. It is neat and the cafeteria service is great,” she said. Her only complaint is that the rooms are small. “Four people crowded in a small room is not an ideal living environment. You could have the whole room to yourself but then you have to dig deeper in your wallet, a luxury we cannot afford,” said Angela. Ends