MISS HOPE - "GAMBLING IN TRNC": African Students and Risky Business [OPINION]

In Northern Cyprus, there are many opportunities available for students. First, there is the educational opportunity - to study with scholars from around the world and to meet with students from many different cultures, and countries. But there is a potential pitfall for the unsuspecting student, far from home for the first time, and experiencing that 'free to be me' syndrome: Gambling is legal in TRNC.

So many students have come from Nigeria and other African countries where the stereotype is that gamblers are bad, hoodlums, thieves, and simply 'social deviants'. This 'stereotype' was taught to us in our communities and had the tendencey to keep us from gambling or at least to make us suspicious of it. But here in Cyprus not only are we free from the contraints of 'back home' but we have to deal with the fact that gambling is legal here - and we do not have the social support that local students probably have (whose parents probably tell them all of the negative pitfalls of gambling just as our parents in Africa did).

We need some 'sensitive seminars' about the dangers associated with gambling -  and we need to support each other in finding alternative ways of spending our precious time while in this country. As students, our goal should be to empower ourselves - not lose our power to an industry that is set up specifically to take our money away from us!

I am afraid that a large number of Nigerian and African students - mostly males - have surrendered and succumbed to the temptation of the betting houses! In fact, they may be visiting the betting houses more than they are visiting their facebook pages. We could call this an epidemic.

QUESTIONS: What happens when a student spends the money that was intended for school fees, on gambling houses? What does it mean when students spend more time studying how to be successful gamblers - how to 'beat the house' - than they spend studying their subjects in the university - learning 'how to be successful in life?' What does it say about our capacity to work in our own best interests?

An international university like Eastern Mediterranean University [EMU // www.emu.edu.tr] has so much to offer the student when we think from the perspective of the 'average' student or the 'normal' student, but it is extremely important to start now and consider the student-in-deep-water and the student-who-got-stuck in a cycle of addiction. We really need to add to the infrastructure of EMU HELP STATTIONS, offer seminars, and educate students on the potential dangers that they need to approach responsibly as they take up their rightful positions as adult-students of higher education.

With freedom (from home) comes responsibility and that is not an easy transition to make. Perhaps the university can make the transition a little less difficult with self-help courses or lectures or seminars.

None of us started our journey with the goal of becoming trapped ina cycle of gambling addiction. Those who fell into the trap may well need some help getting out and back onto the road to success.

**Originally written by HOPE OHIOMOREN for Gundem News EMU 

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