Piece of advice to mzungu campus exchange program students

 Don’t be played

Advice to mzungu campus exchange program students These boys out here don’t love you; most of them are only out to use you Don’t spend on them if they don’t spend on you

There are a few white kids in my school. Some of them are residents of this country but most of them are beneficiaries of the campus exchange program.

 Where Kenyan universities swap students with overseas universities for a semester so they can learn each other’s culture, yada, yada. Which is all cool and rosy…until someone starts taking advantage of the other.

I’m seated at the students’ centre this past Friday with a few boys of mine.

It’s about 2 p.m. and we are sharing a bottle of whiskey (it’s never too early to pop a drink on a Friday in campus) and howling at the top of our voices and hollering at heavily endowed first year mamis.

I’m not proud of it but we’re rowdy like that.

Then in comes another friend of ours with some white girl in tow. They head for our table and we make space for them.

She tells us she’s in final year at some university in Germany that, for the life of me, I cannot remember because I’m already halfway smashed when she mentions it, and that she’s here courtesy of the exchange program between our campuses.

We ask her how the Kenyan campus system has been for her so far and she says it’s been great and that the people are awesome and she wishes she could stay longer.

We engage her a little more and laugh some more before she excuses herself to go fetch us another bottle of whiskey because “I love your company; you guys are funny (In reference to me, of course).”

She jets off and our boy, the one that came in with her, starts talking about how he has immensely benefitted from her generosity throughout the semester.

 He says he’s never spent a shilling while with her, that he made her feel like he was in love with her so bad she could do anything for him.

That he once even faked his mother’s death and she sent him sh 50 000 to “grieve with.” That he also one time lied that he had been robbed and she paid his rent that month and bought him a brand new 32inch T.V set.

That when they go out, she gives him cash to pay for the drinks and he hikes the prices so he can pocket the change, and that she doesn’t even notice it. Or ask about it.

 “Basically,” he concluded, “this chic has been my cash cow the entire semester.” And we lauded him for being “wise” because we are boys in a country and generation which celebrates mediocrity.

So, here, a word of advice to odiero campus students. These boys out here don’t love you, most of them are only out to use you. Learn to note the difference.

Cautious who you spend your time with. Don’t be played, don’t allow yourselves to be taken for a ride. Don’t spend on them if they don’t spend on you. Be stingy.