The Pan African International Students (PAIS) movement, an organisation committed to the welfare and success of international students, particularly those from Africa, has issued an urgent appeal to the government to, as a matter of urgency, address the concerns of the stranded Ghanaian students studying in Morroco.
A few days ago, reports emerged of these students, who are on government scholarships, publicly expressing their distress over being neglected by the authorities, leaving them to struggle for bare necessities like food, shelter and hygiene products.
In a widely circulated video on various media platforms, the students are seen standing in front of Ghana’s Embassy in Morocco, pleading for immediate assistance. The most heartbreaking moment came from a female student who, through tears, said, “We are pleading with the Government of Ghana to come to our aid, as ladies here in this country we are not even able to afford the basic needs: sanitary pads…”
Amplifying the dire situation faced by Ghanaian international students in Morocco, PAIS in a press statement, dated May 28, 2024, highlights the severe neglect these students are experiencing.
“It is heartbreaking to see these needy but brilliant students standing in front of Ghana’s Embassy in Morocco, literally begging the government to provide even the basic human needs of food and shelter,” the statement reads.
The statement, signed by the organisation’s National Coordinator, Apostle Aheto Jacob-Paul, emphasized that PAIS cannot remain passive in the face of such distress. “As an organisation which is concerned about the welfare and success of international students, especially to and from Africa, PAIS cannot stand aloof but add our voice to those of these stranded students that the Government of Ghana should do the needful, urgently,” he stated.
In response to the crisis, PAIS has pledged to extend a helping hand to the students in Morocco, much like their ongoing support efforts for international students in Ghana and Kenya since their inauguration last year. This proactive stance is a call to other organizations and stakeholders to join in providing immediate relief and long-term solutions for these students.
The release concludes with a direct appeal to the Ghanaian government to fulfill its responsibilities towards these scholars. “The Government of Ghana should do the needful, urgently,” PAIS insists, urging prompt action to alleviate the students’ plight.
