Africa-Press – Liberia. A growing number of Liberian students studying in China are expressing fear and uncertainty about returning home after graduation, citing the lack of job opportunities and unfair reductions in government stipends as major deterrents.
Speaking with FrontPage Africa (FPA) in Changsha, Hunan Province recently, Edwina M. Kolleh, Coordinator of the Hunan Union of Liberian Students, made a passionate appeal to the government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to take urgent steps in addressing the challenges faced by Liberian students abroad.
“We are calling on the government to create job opportunities for returning students—not only for those in China but those studying in other countries as well,” said Kolleh, a Ph.D. candidate in Public Health.
Kolleh lamented that highly qualified Liberians—many with master’s and doctorate degrees—return home only to face unemployment and underutilization.
“Imagine having a doctor go from office to office and being told there is no space. It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “People want to return and contribute, but without job prospects, they are discouraged—even afraid—to come back.”
Stipend Cuts Causing Financial Strain
In addition to job concerns, students are also grappling with what they describe as “unfair” reductions in stipends provided by the Liberian government.
The stipend, which was previously US$350 per month during former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Administration, was slashed to US$75 in 2019 without formal explanation—and students say the payments are often delayed for months.
“Imagine reducing our stipends by almost 80 percent, and then not paying it on time. This is really frustrating,” Kolleh said.
She noted that some students have gone up to three months without receiving any payment, leaving them financially stranded and reliant on informal support networks just to survive in a foreign country.
James Prince Tarley, a bilateral scholarship student pursuing a master’s degree in Microbiology, echoed similar frustrations.
“I’ve been here for over a year and have only received six months of stipend. We keep appealing through the embassy and the Ministry of Education, but nothing changes,” Tarley said.
As Secretary General of the Hunan student union, Tarley added that students often resort to “making noise” in chat rooms just to get attention from authorities.
Praise for Chinese Government
Despite the challenges faced due to limited support from their own government, the students commended the Chinese government for its consistency in honoring scholarship obligations.
“Without China’s support, many of us would have dropped out already. Their reliability has helped many of us survive,” Kolleh acknowledged.
As Liberia seeks to strengthen its human resource base through international scholarship programs, these students are urging the Boakai administration to prioritize support for foreign-based Liberian students—through timely stipend payments and concrete reintegration policies.
“We want to go back. We want to serve. But we also want to be treated with dignity and given a chance to contribute meaningfully,” Kolleh concluded.
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