By Abdulmalik Abdulwahab and Yaseer Aladodo
“Denkeli de awara” has graduated into a daily meal for students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. The relationship between cheese and fried potatoes is not a new phenomenon as it serves as a modest meal for over 60% of Danfodites.
Lost in thought, Abdullah Mahmud who prefers to use pseudonyms, contemplated how to manage his last five hundred Naira. Recognizing the insufficient for a meal due to the high cost, he determinedly sought a solution to alleviate his imminent hunger.
“Denkeli de Awara was the only breakthrough in my head. I purchased 200 Naira and kept the remaining change for the future,” Mahmud explained.
“ After a series of bites on the chips and cheese, I felt filled.”
Abdulmujeeb Musliu, a 300-level student of Arabic, explained that “denkeli de awara” is not only good for its affordability but also saves Students’ time after an exhausting lecture day.
In his words, “This snack is not only affordable but also saves me a lot of time. Most times, I can’t cook whenever I come back from class, so I resort to the satisfying trend.”
He added that “as for the cabbage they put in, I don’t like it at all”.
In an interview with Muhammad Jawad, a 300-level law student, he noted how Denkeli and Awara came through for students during challenges.
In his words, he said: “ Sometimes there will be no light or time to cook and at times nothing to cook. I survive on Garri, “dankeli de Awara”. Though it has become smaller and more expensive during my UG1, two hundred naira.
“Denkeli de awara” is still enough to manage for dinner. Most times, it serves me as dinner during tiring days when I can’t cook or am in a hurry to go to class at night to read.”
Speaking, he noted further that “ originally, ‘Dankeli’ was not a food to me. It is just like snacks or a bite, which can be used to hold the stomach for a period pending the time we make our meals”.
According to Abubakar Ibrahim, a 300-level student of Arabic, he explained that at the moment, everyone can testify to the cost of things and without words passing, “denkeli de awara” has graduated into a daily meal for the Danfodites.
“Students demands Increase During Exams” –Seller Pointed
Musa Rahanat, a popular “denkeli de awara” seller explained that “denkeli de awara” business is profitable as it enriches a hard-working enterprise and as well saves students from imminent hunger.
“I fry up to three bags of potatoes in a day,” she said.
“And I can boldly say that more than half of the whole Danfodites eat this delicacy because it is readily available.”
She concluded that as a result of exam stress which doesn’t allow students to have time for cooking, consumers of “denkeli de awara” usually increase during exam period.