A 22-year-old Frenchwoman spent 18,000 euros to study English in Honolulu, the capital of the US state of Hawaii. But there, her stay turned into a nightmare and she almost ended up on the street.
Sometimes there is only one step from Heaven to Hell. This is what Léa Catay, a 22-year-old student from Montauban, discovered. The latter has indeed spent 18,000 euros to go learn English in a prestigious program located in Honolulu, reports the newspaper. La Dépêche du Midi. But there, things quickly turned sour.
When Léa chooses Education First (EF) for her language study trip, it is in particular for the excellent reputation of this language trip organization. Determined to improve her English, this 22-year-old wants the best and is ready to put the necessary funds into it. In total, she therefore pays 18,000 euros for nine months on site with a family living less than 40 minutes from her school, with half board during the week and full board at weekends. An expensive but promising plan. Except that there, none of this is real.
Scandalous living conditions
The first disappointment occurs when Lea arrives in her family. She discovers a dirty house in which she has to share her bed, before finally having a mattress on the floor. She also shares her cockroach-filled bathroom with four tenants and only gets bread and instant noodles as a meal. The 22-year-old complains to EF but is told it’s a cultural issue. Finally, the student discovers that her school is 2h30 from transport during rush hour.
By dint of insistence, Léa manages to join another family where living conditions are a little better, even if she still has to pay for her meals. The only problem is that her new hosts tell her that they can only keep her until the end of December. He is finally offered a place in a university residence which will never confirm his registration. It is only because her host keeps her one day longer that she does not end up on the street. Supported by her family who bombarded EF with registered letters, emails and phone calls, the student hired a lawyer to defend her rights. She might even be joined by some of her comrades who have lived through identical situations, one of them even having been sexually assaulted by his host.
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