The story of Kevin Ochieng Obede, an actuarial science graduate
from the University of Nairobi, has cause mixed reactions. Some people commented
that he pursued the wrong course. Others offered word of encouragement, while a
section of netizens are merely blunt with no apologies.
Ochieng scored straight As in KCSE and got a first class
honors in university but could not secure a job. He ended up living in the
streets of Nairobi washing cars to earn Ksh 50-100. He is not the first intelligent graduate with no job. Remember the young man who walked around Nairobi town with a board
advertising his qualifications. When an individual results for such desperate
means, it is usually because they have hit rock bottom and have no way out.
It is funny that when the media highlights an unemployment case, suddenly doors open for the subject with various companies offering opportunities. For Kevin, he searched for employment at Deloitte in vain but somehow the company now has a spot for him.
Some people envy degree holders such that when they make unemployment
headlines, they decide to publicly humiliate them. We are yet to see diploma
and certificate holders admitting they are jobless. It is not like every one of
them has a decent job. At least degree holders have the courage to admit that
they are not doing well and that the government needs to do something about unemployment.
However, we simply assume that a graduate should get a job forgetting that every person has a different life story. We cannot all get jobs or be successful at the same time.
Now, for those who are lucky to have gotten jobs, it may be
easy to ridicule the young man and say he was lazy or did not knock on enough
doors.
Some people are self-employed, but they are not doing jobs related to
what they studied in college or campus, which is great advice for jobless graduates.
One thing most people do not understand is that it is not always
easy to find purpose in life. You will find someone hoping from one day job to
another without necessarily knowing which one to pursue
to the end. Some people are not happy with their current workplaces either.
The bottom line is that life is unpredictable. Do whatever
you have to survive as long as it is legal. However, it does not mean that you
let go your dreams or the course you took years to study just because doors are
not opening for you. Life is full of surprises. Push yourself to achieve more,
fight for what you believe in, and get the attention of people you need to take
you to next level. Better yet, create employment opportunities. Resilience,
patience, and hard work are helpful even when things are not going your way.
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