When his LinkedIn post popped up on my timeline, I knew I had to get a sit down with him. His name is Richard and his story is deeply inspiring. He left a job where he was esteemed as “rich and famous” to one of the darkest seasons in his life. Read on to find out how he ended up as a construction worker in Bamburi and how he got out and landed the job of his dreams.
What was your job search journey like?
When I was in my 3rd year of University, I worked at a Radio Station in Meru as a Presenter and Producer. After graduating, I went back home to Kisumu and 5 months later, I got a job at another Radio Station for the next two years. The job was amazing but the pay wasn’t much. Working in Radio put me in the public eye and my peers had the notion that I was living my best life. In reality, I was actually earning very little and avoided visiting the village since I didn’t have much to take back home from my salary.
One day after completing my show, I announced my resignation and boarded a bus to Mombasa with my wife the next morning. I didn’t know anybody in Mombasa at the time but I was determined to take a bold step and look for better opportunities outside my city. When I got to Mombasa, I started looking for jobs immediately. I applied for so many jobs but I didn’t get an interview. I even started distributing physical copies of my CV in various offices but this didn’t get me anywhere either.
How did you end up at Bamburi working as a manual laborer and what was your experience?
In 2 months I had depleted my savings and I was almost losing all hope by this time. My wife and I were expecting a child at the time so I knew I needed to step up and provide for my family. I knew getting a job as a manual laborer was my next best option to earn money.
Working as a construction worker requires you to be very proactive, agile, and disciplined. The site manager would usually select site workers every morning at 6:00 AM. I got there early and managed to secure a slot. Week 1 was the hardest. I got blisters all over my hands and I still had to keep pushing because I needed to secure a slot the following week.
What kept you going during that time in your life?
It was a very difficult season of my life. I went from being famous as a Radio Presenter, with people calling you and wanting to associate themselves with you to total silence and being broke beyond what I thought possible. We would encourage and motivate each other at the site, with fellow construction workers. We would talk about our dreams and this really kept me going. My wife also held me up during that season of my life. She didn’t judge me and she stood by me.
In your post which received 6K+ likes, you talk about “not giving up”. What does this look like “kwa ground”?
It pains me to hear people giving up and letting go, some even taking away their lives. Sometimes life can be tough. Honestly, sometimes not giving up is doing the “boring” stuff *laughs*. Not giving up was the only option for me. I had to stick it out and keep going no matter the obstacles I met along the way. If only people knew how things could change in an instance, they would keep pushing
What are some unpopular opinions about “Watu wa Mjengo” that get on your nerves?
Well, people think that Watu wa Mjengo are uneducated brutes. That is not true kwa ground. Think about this, all those Engineers and fancy titles in the Construction Industry cannot do without Watu wa Mjengo. There must be someone doing the handy work. My fellow construction workers were some of the kindest, most hardworking people I met during that season of my life. These people have families and responsibilities that they honor, and not much is said about that. I think it’s time we treated them with a little more courtesy, respect, and consideration.
And then what happened?
I worked as a construction worker for 6 months and then got a job as an English tutor. This new job kept me going and by this time, I was smarter at managing my finances based on my previous experiences. I was saving more and spending less. The job ended a few months later and I decided to go to Nairobi in search of better opportunities. I met up with a friend from University who introduced me to freelance writing. I was spending up to 20 hours online writing and that was when I came across the PR & Media Executive role at M. P. Shah Hospital. I applied for that job as though I was never going to apply for anything else ever - I gave it my all. I got called for an interview within a few days and I got the job!
You’re now working in PR at one of Nairobi’s leading hospitals. What’s this season of your life like?
I love my job. I’m really grateful for this opportunity. I’m glad that they took a chance on me. Sometimes all you need is for an employer to take a chance on you. I am also indebted to the few friends who stood by me and walked with me through that tough season.