One Jamaican parent who has decided to allow her child to continue her studies in Cuba despite an energy crisis affecting classes, said she is trusting God to keep her daughter safe.
“They’re going through trying times, but when we are going through trying times, who do we look to? We have to look to Jesus and God himself,” said the mother, who says the Lord has assured her that her daughter will be ok.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, said during Tuesday’s post-cabinet press briefing that there are approximately 320 Jamaican students studying in Cuba, 44 of whom are beneficiaries of the Jamaica/Cuba scholarship programme.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the Jamaican students have pointed to disruptions in their classes over the last few weeks due to the energy crisis currently affecting the country. Classes have been disrupted, temporarily suspended or moved online.
Of those students that are privately funded, 13 have returned to Jamaica. Students have been encouraged to assess their situation, consult parents or guardians as well as their schools, and decide what is best.
The Jamaican parent who spoke to the Freedom Come Rain newspaper, said both the Jamaican government and the CARICOM secretariat have been providing advice to her daughter and other students in Cuba, instructing them of options for emergency departure if the need arises.
“We understand that the prevailing intent and the drive among the majority of the student body at this time is for the continuation of their studies,” Johnson-Smith told reporters.
She said a WhatsApp group has been established with the more than 300 students in Cuba to facilitate contact and access. The foreign affairs ministry has been receiving and reviewing daily updates from Jamaica’s embassy in Havana, which has been in contact with Cuba’s foreign ministry.
The Jamaican parent noted that some students go to Cuba to study medicine, for example because the programme is much cheaper to pursue when compared to Jamaica and other countries.
“Persons that stay, they reach too far to turn back and leave. They have to get transcripts and all that to get into another school. [When they] leave then what’s next? When you come out of school, you take yourself from the programme, and then when you get back in, [you might have to] pay another school fee,” she explained.
The foreign affairs minister said Jamaica continues to monitor the situation in Cuba and will provide updates.