At the University of Malawi (UNIMA), a glaring accommodation crisis is quietly shaping the lives of thousands of students, especially young women.

With over 11,000 generic students enrolled and hostel facilities that can only accommodate 1,200, the vast majority are left to fend for themselves in the rental market beyond campus borders, including the famous Chikanda village which has now become part of the University. It accommodates more than half of the student population. For female student like Hannah Banda, this reality is more than inconvenient, it’s a daily struggle for safety, dignity, and academic success.

The 22-year-old Banda, a Bachelor of Education in Social studies fourth year student living off campus, says this also means living without the protection of university security. She reports feeling unsafe putting up in Chikanda neighbourhood.

“It’s an everyday risk walking to and from campus especially at night.” Says Banda who has never had a chance to the university’s campus hostels for the four years she has been there.

“Integrating with township community is hard. We are harassed and at times frowned upon for petty reasons.” Banda adds. “We are at times forced to rely on our male student-friends to escort us, some of whom may demand sexual favors from us.”

Banda recalls of some female students who have given in to such pressures for the sake of having enough time to access academic facilities including evening classes regularly called for by lecturers as well as the library at night.

YONECO FM has established that UNIMA’s student population has grown rapidly, but hostel capacity has remained stagnant. The result is a housing crisis that disproportionately affects students, many of whom come from rural areas and lack the financial means or social networks to secure safe accommodation.

Tapiwa Sanga, a 20-year-old fourth-year student and Gender Attaché in the Student Representative Council (SRC), underscores the severity of the issue.

“I have firsthand experience of these challenges,” she shares, “For the first two and a half years of my studies, I lived off campus. It was only in the second semester of my third year, after being elected to the SRC, that I finally secured a place in the hostels.”

Sanga notes that the consequences of inadequate housing go beyond inconvenience, “We receive frequent reports of theft, harassment, and general safety concerns from students living off campus.” she says.

“Female students are especially vulnerable and often targeted.” Sanga reveals.

The housing shortage not only jeopardizes students’ safety but also undermines their academic focus and emotional well-being. As the crisis persists, Sanga calls for an urgent need for the university and relevant stakeholders to prioritize investment in student accommodation and implement measures that ensure the safety and dignity of all learners.

“Its high time meaningful action was taken to address the accommodation crisis,” she stresses, noting that repeated calls for intervention have gone unanswered.

Despite the immense challenges posed by the housing crisis, the young women remain undeterred. As Sanga puts it, “We use our class group chats to coordinate and walk together after night classes or library sessions,” reflecting a spirit of resilience and solidarity.

Earlier this year, university management projected that the student population could exceed 15,000 by 2027. Without urgent intervention, the accommodation crisis may escalate to unprecedented levels, placing even more young women at heightened risk.

UNIMA’s Director of Student Affairs, Dr. Jonas Mwaseteza, acknowledges that the university administration is fully aware of the accommodation challenges facing students, particularly young women.

He says the institution maintains records of reported incidents, many of which stem from students living off campus due to limited hostel capacity.

According to Dr. Mwaseteza, the administration has implemented measures to address these challenges, particularly around student safety. These include sharing safety tips with students and collaborating with community police in neighborhoods where students reside.

“We respond to issues as they arise. We have also put in place preventive mechanisms, including raising awareness within surrounding communities on how to co-exist with students.”

Dr. Mwaseteza however admitted that these measures are temporary and not sufficient to fully address the problem.

“Despite these interventions, cases of theft and harassment still occur,” he revealed, “What is needed is additional hostels. We have the plans ready, but finances remain a limiting factor.”

Education expert Lexon Ndalama believes the root of the problem may lie in how tertiary education is perceived in policy circles.

“There’s a prevailing argument that higher education benefits the individual more than the country,” he explained. “This may be why public universities like UNIMA struggle to secure adequate resources for infrastructure.”

Ndalama urged the government to reconsider its priorities. “This should be a wake-up call to invest significantly in student accommodation at public universities, especially for the girl child” he said. “If Malawi is serious about achieving its Vision 2063 goal of building a well-equipped and skilled human capital base, then tertiary education must be treated as a priority.”

In his briefing to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on the state of the country’s oldest public university, UNIMA Vice-Chancellor Samson Sajidu expressed deep concern over the persistent accommodation crisis.

He revealed that the University requires a minimum of K28 billion to construct sufficient hostel facilities to meet the growing student population.

For those who have walked the Chilunga corridors, UNIMA is often called the University that God loved the most. Perhaps, then, there is hope that one day, the accommodation saga will be resolved, and young Hannahs and Tapiwas will pursue their studies freely, without fear for their safety or the shadow of harassment.