WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A KENYAN YOUTH

Hey. Hello. Welcome to another blog post.

I'm so glad you keep dropping by.

Let me start by saying that I acknowledge that however much I write on this topic I know I won't cover every part of it.

 Being a youth in Kenya is something that most of us are not proud of. From the unemployment, we face to the leaders we have. Most of us are frustrated and exhausted and we just want things to change.

We went to school, worked hard, and even graduate and when we get out into the job industry we face challenges we don't expect. We get advertisements for jobs asking for a minimum of 3 year's experience. And even if you have the experience, which most of us are still trying and hoping to acquire, you don't get an interview. I met a long-time friend recently who had been let go from work due to coronavirus, who told me " Mary I wish I could show you my email account, the jobs I have applied for are many and none of them have given me even an interview. I'm honestly embarrassed to show anyone my email." We go as far as applying for jobs that we are more qualified for or we aren't qualified for just so we can increase our odds and chances. An Environmental Scientist Major applying for sales jobs or administrative positions. Since I graduated I have worked in a hotel for 2 years before I got a job that I'm trained for. And I wasn't alone, I was working with more than 5 graduates who had searched and applied for jobs to no avail. You must know of a youth who's selling mitumba for the same reason.

I know that we are advised to take an unpaid internship or volunteer until a job comes along but the harsh truth is not so many of us can do that. Many of us have bills to pay; rent, food, and even siblings to cater to. Moving back home isn't really an option, we have people that depend on us to make a living. And that's why you find a youth selling groceries or waking up early to get a mjengo gig. 

It is tough.

How many workplaces have you seen very old people that should have retired years ago still working? The old are more favored than we are. You saw it the other day, President Uhuru appointing a 70-year-old retired judge to chair the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority yet there are energetic youth that can handle the task. I hear the reason for them having experience but again how are we to gain experience if we are not given a chance? In his 2017 manifesto, President Uhuru promised to prioritize the youth in employment and pledged to create at least 6.5 million jobs by 2022 yet he makes appointments of people aged 60years old and above. 800,000 young Kenyans are entering the labor market every year and our economy has not been able to provide the necessary amount of formal and informal opportunities. What is even more tragic is that 80℅ of the unemployed are under 35years old. Think about that. 80℅ yote. They take and take from us and the most we can do is complain. 

The other unfortunate thing is no one is giving the youth sex education. We go to high school and nothing much is said about it except abstain. Less is being taught on the use of contraceptives and which ones are more favorable. We bash the use of contraceptives and still judge when someone gets pregnant. So you meet youth at 25 with three kids to cater for and no employment. We should not judge. The woman you see in the streets with a mini dress at midnight probably has so much burden than she can carry and she can't sit and home and wait because, let's be honest, there is no manna from coming heaven for her.

We elect leaders who are selfish and I'm sorry to say, so ignorant and arrogant. They make promises to us and when elected we see no improvement. Our roads remain the same. Our taxes are rising and they spearhead the corruption scandals. I understand the saying ' Absolute power corrupts absolutely' but does it corrupt most of them. 

We are tired and frustrated and angry. 

And we believe we can do better than what we have but our opportunities are limited. We also lack enough faith in ourselves. We lack the faith to make a difference and say no to bad leadership or tribalism or bad influence. Every time there is a scandal like a coronavirus corruption scandal you can see Kenyan youths complain on Twitter and I wish we dared to do something. Anything. To make a difference. We youths are more in number than any other age group. If we joined together we can cause a revolution. I'm not saying we fight. I'm saying we shouldn't settle for the mediocre we are fed. 

We should strive to create a better Kenya for our children.

What do you think as a Kenyan Youth?

That's all for now

Bye.