﴿وَلِلَّهِ الأَسماءُ الحُسنى فَادعوهُ بِها..﴾#الدعاء_بأسماء_الله_الحسنى

Space Summary

The Twitter Space ﴿وَلِلَّهِ الأَسماءُ الحُسنى فَادعوهُ بِها..﴾#الدعاء_بأسماء_الله_الحسنى hosted by Am22222780. The Twitter space delved into the profound significance of supplicating with Allah's beautiful names in Islam, emphasizing the spiritual connection, knowledge, and humility it fosters. Understanding the diverse attributes and meanings behind each divine name was highlighted as a transformative practice for enriching one's faith. Moreover, the space explored how invoking Allah's names enhances prayers, offering guidance, solace, and strength in times of need. Additionally, reflections on the Prophet Muhammad's biography provided valuable lessons on faith, resilience, and devotion. The session served as a spiritual discourse on invoking Allah for guidance and righteousness.

For more spaces, visit the Alpha Group page.

Questions

Q: Why is invoking Allah with His beautiful names significant in Islam?
A: Invoking Allah's names in prayers showcases reverence, knowledge, and spiritual connection within Islam.

Q: How does understanding the meanings of Allah's names influence supplications?
A: Grasping the significance of Allah's names enhances the depth and sincerity of supplications in Islam.

Q: What is the purpose of reflecting on the diverse attributes of Allah through His names?
A: Reflecting on Allah's attributes through His names aids in spiritual enrichment and seeking closeness to the divine.

Q: Why is it essential to incorporate divine names in prayers for Muslims?
A: Including Allah's names in prayers instills humility, gratitude, and reliance on divine guidance among Muslims.

Q: What role does the Prophet Muhammad's biography play in guiding believers in their faith?
A: The Prophet's biography offers invaluable lessons on unwavering faith, perseverance, and devotion for Muslims.

Q: How can the practice of invoking Allah's names strengthen one's spiritual connection?
A: Invoking Allah's beautiful names fosters a deep spiritual bond, enhancing faith, trust, and submission to the divine.

Highlights

Time: 00:15:40
The Significance of Invoking Allah's Names Exploring the profound importance of invoking Allah with His beautiful names.

Time: 00:25:17
Meanings Behind Allah's Names Understanding the nuanced meanings and contexts of Allah's diverse names in Islam.

Time: 00:35:29
Lessons from the Prophet's Biography Delving into the valuable teachings and wisdom found in the biography of the Prophet Muhammad.

Key Takeaways

• In Islam, invoking Allah with His beautiful names is a powerful form of prayer.
• Understanding the meaning and context of each of Allah's names enhances the spiritual connection in supplications.
• The unity of invoking Allah with His names lies in recognizing His diverse attributes and characteristics.
• Seeking closeness to Allah through prayer is emphasized in both worldly and eternal realms.
• Knowledge and reflection on the beautiful names of Allah play a significant role in spiritual enrichment.
• Supplicating with the names of Allah in sincere devotion reflects a deepening bond with faith.
• Invocation of Allah's names serves as a means of seeking righteousness and guidance in all aspects of life.
• Reflecting on the names of Allah allows individuals to draw strength and solace in times of need.
• Incorporating Allah's names in prayers fosters a sense of humility, gratitude, and trust in divine providence.
• The Prophet Muhammad's biography provides invaluable lessons on faith, resilience, and devotion.

Behind the Mic

Introduction to Citizen Digital X Spaces

Good evening and welcome to this week's edition of Citizen Digital X Spaces. Tonight we are going to be talking about jobs abroad and experiences of Kenyans working abroad. I'm just waiting for two other speakers to join. I can see Professor Monda and Maj already on this conversation, so in the next two minutes we will start this conversation session. In the meantime, please feel free to share the link to this space with your friends and colleagues and we will be starting shortly. I can see there are already so many requests to speak. Hold on to those. We'll allow you to ask your questions or contribute as the conversation goes along. So we'll start in the next two minutes.

Speaker Introductions

Monica had given you rights to speak. I'm seeing you've dropped off again. Accept that request to speak. No, I think you're on now. Yeah. Okay, we can get this conversation started and the last speaker will join us as we go along. So good evening again and welcome to this week's edition of Citizen Digital X Spaces. I'm your host, Claire Munde, and today we're going to be talking about the experiences of Kenyans working abroad. This comes as President Ruto called for people who are willing to work abroad and take jobs abroad to do so, and they would be facilitated. Now, before we get to the conversation, I'd like to start with some housekeeping rules.

Housekeeping and Introduction of Speakers

First and foremost, this session is being recorded of it can be used in other citizen digital platforms. Then, as mentioned earlier, if you have any comments, please hold on to those. We'll give you a chance to comment, but in the meantime, you can share your comments on the bottom right of this space on the comments section and we will sample those as we go along. Now, without further ado, I'd like to have our speakers introduce themselves briefly before we go to the conversation and give some background. And I'll start with you. Professor Mwanda, kindly introduce yourself.

Professor Monda's Introduction

Okay. My name is Professor David Monda. I teach at City University of New York in New York City. I'm a Kenyan diasporan. I've been abroad over three decades and I'm glad to be here to share my insights on jobs abroad for Kenyans. And thanks again, Claire, for making this possible. Thank you for that, Professor Mwanda. And we'll be eager to know more about some of these foreign policies and get your contributions on that because you research on that. Over to you, Marge. Kindly introduce yourself.

Maj's Introduction

Good evening, everyone. My name is Maj. I'm an epidemiologist based in Germany and also the founder of Diaspora Network Hub, which is more of a just a networking hub for diasporans globally. And yes, thanks Claire for the invitation. I'm looking forward to share my experience of working abroad as a diasporan with experience of over two decades. Back to you, Clare. Thank you much. Over to you, Monica. Kindly introduce yourself.

Monica Mwema's Introduction

Good evening everyone. My name is Monica Mwema. I'm a recruiter based in Kenya and I'm also the secretary general of the association of Skilled Migrant Agencies of Kenya. Asma, thank you and thanks for having us here. Thank you. And last but not least, Dennis, kindly introduce yourself. Hi. Thank you, Claire. My name is Denis Otieno, I'm based in the UK. I am a doctor of researcher at the moment at the University of Liverpool. On the side, I also teach at several universities across Manchester.

Dennis Otieno's Introduction

And on a personal basis, I also involve myself in student recruitment. Those are for students who wish to come to the UK, US, Canada or Australia for their further studies. Just to mention I'm doing that because I'm also certified by the British Council to do that. And yeah, that's just a brief overview of who I am and what I do. Okay, thank you for that. Now, I'd like to give a little background to this conversation. Now, President William Ruto has on several occasions said that the government is committed to supporting Kenyans who are willing to leave the country to take up jobs abroad.

Context of the Discussion

Now, recently, around the end of July, he said he was willing to work to help those who are willing to work abroad get passports in about a week's time and also facilitate their plane tickets. The government has inked several deals with various countries and that is to help get the youthful workforce to tackle unemployment by getting jobs abroad. Now, there have been concerns with some of these jobs because there's been questions on the quality of those jobs and then the overall welfare of Kenyans who go to work abroad. What are the experiences there? Because it's not always rosy. So there are challenges that come with that.

Exploring Experiences and Opportunities

And tonight we just want to hear the experiences of those people who are on the ground and some of the challenges that are faced, some of the opportunities that exist. And so, before we can dive into the conversation, I think it will be good to understand where each of the speakers is coming from. And so I'd like to start with you, Dennis. You've given us a little context of your experience in the UK, but kindly give us an overview of how you got to live and work and study in the UK. Then we'll go around so that we can get the context and then we'll go into the discussion.

Dennis's Journey to the UK

Yeah, thanks a lot. Claire. I think from about 2012 I did not have any dreams of traveling to the UK whatsoever or in the country outside Kenya. So I finished my undergraduate degree industrial chemistry. I'm an industrial chemistry by training at the university, at Kenya University in 2012. And then I graduated. And because of the hassles of getting a job within the manufacturing sector within the country, I decided to settle for a job within the banking sector. So I started to work as a teller at Diamond Trust Bank, DTB, that's the airport branch.

Career Path in Kenya

And then after a while I moved to CBA. It's now NCBA that time, to CBA. I worked there as a customer service officer along Mamangina branch, on at Mamangina branch rather, and I left CBA. I moved to Stanbeck bank. At Stanbieg Bank I came in as team leader in customer experience and then I rose through ranks, worked through different branches, and I left the bank as an operations manager from that. From the bank. So at one point the reason why I left particularly was because I was bored. Well, first of all because the operations within banking sector is a very mundane thing, it's a very repetitive thing and I wanted something more challenging.

Desire for Further Education and Training

Again, I had been trained as an industrial chemist and I was in a banking sector rising through ranks and I thought it will be pragmatic for me, or rather it will be imperative if I seek retraining. So I get a proper business training so that I come back to banking sector. That was my aspiration. I go out to get further training and then I come back and continue rising with the banking sector, but as faithful of it. I moved to the UK to do my masters in business administration at the University of Central Lancashire.

Studying in the UK

That is just slightly outside Manchester, about half an hour by train from Manchester, and then I finished. I graduated with a distinction from the University of Central Lancashire. I'm mentioning this because it's important to give you a context of how that helped me later. So I graduated a distinction with a distinction in all the modules that I did that time. So this was important because immediately I finished this master's degree or MBA degree, I applied for several PhD positions and I actually got a number of them.

Transition to PhD Program

So out of the offers that I got for my PhD scholarship, Lancaster, Liverpool and Huawei, which came later, I decided to take up the University of Liverpool offer. So I moved into the University of Liverpool. I'm doing my PhD in human resource and organizational behavior. All right, specifically the areas of workplace mistreatment. So that's how I came to be. So when I started working. I got the opportunity to work in the academic sector to understand it better, and I loved it. And that is how I settled in.

Career Development

And I decided, you know what, I'll probably just go on building my profile, building my career, getting my certification, getting my training, and then I'll see what happens after that. So, in to give a context, that is how my journey has been to where I am at the moment. I am a very open book. Sometimes people want to know more about myself, my profile, all that is available in my bio. I have given a link that has go to my website, my CV, my contacts, everything that you'll ever want to see about me. I put it all there to be as transparent as possible.

Self-Transparency and Networking

So you can have a look, whoever wants, and you can chat me on LinkedIn or any other channel that you want. All the contacts are there in my Twitter bio. You can get access to everything through that. Okay, thanks for that. So you have mentioned what you studied versus what you ended up working in were two different things. And we'll tackle that a little bit later in the conversation. But I'd like to move on to you, Maj, kindly give us a little bit of background of how you ended up working abroad and your journey so far. Then we'll go to Professor Monda, then we'll take it from there.

Maj's Educational Journey in Germany

Thank you, Claire. So, my journey to Germany, actually, when I wanted to study abroad, I wasn't specific about wanting to study in Germany, but that's just what, you know, the chance that came first. So when I came to study in Germany, actually, what I wanted to study initially wasn't being provided for, and. But I moved on to still stick on to the medical and clinical region, and then further proceeded to the epidemiological region and have so far been working in the clinical area, and then moved to the pharmaceutical research area that I'm currently working on in.

Maj's Continued Career Development

So I have been working really only on the fields that are related to my job, but not to my training, but not entirely. But, you know, you could really, let's say, apply. So it's more of abstract. So I wouldn't say it's very much different. Yes. So that's how my biography has been in clinical research and pharmaceutical research at the moment. Yes, that's it so far. Back to you.

Professor Monda's Journey and Insights

Okay. Okay, thank you. And over to you, Professor Wanda. Kindly give us a little bit of context of how you ended up living and working in the US. Yeah. So for me. So for me, it was to come and pursue my master's degree. I started at US international university in the nineties. I think at that time I chose USIU because I also got a place at University of Nairobi. But with the multi-party demonstrations and all the problems, whether the universities. We kept having, the universities shut down a lot.

Transition from Kenya to the US Education System

So I opted to go to USIU, but also principally because the conditions in Kenya at that time were really bad. We had the MUI regime and the economy was just falling apart and things didn't really look very good. So I think I chose USIU, I think, as a stepping stone because I knew they had a sister campus in San Diego, and it would be very easy for me to transfer over, to continue a postgraduate degree or even just to transfer as an undergraduate in terms of visa processing and so on and so forth.

Educational Opportunities and Experiences

So I think that's also something that listeners should think about because there's a lot of campuses in Kenya with affiliate programs abroad. And I think that's one of the easy ways to get over the visa process and some of the other challenges of getting access abroad. So I came to San Diego to. I got a scholarship to pursue my masters degree international affairs, which was also my undergraduate degree. And then after I graduated, I worked for a campaign, governor's campaign, Gray Davis in California.

Career Development in the US

He successfully won that campaign. So I think that was great work experience for me. Field jobs, networking. I got on the board of Peace and Justice Organization, California Peace Action, based in Berkeley, California, San Francisco, the Bay Area in northern California. So I was on the abode for a number of years, but that really helped me leverage when I wanted to start my PhD program because they were really looking not only for academic excellence for the PhD program in New York, but they were also looking for lived experiences and actually hands-on experiences.

Importance of Experience and Knowledge

So I think that's another thing folk on the call should be thinking about. It's good to get your a's and a pluses, but it's also good to have that balance of lived experience and work experience, community service and actual hands-on experience. And then I stayed on because I'd been in the states for so many years. I had my networks here, and I think that's my story to this point. So, yeah, I'm excited to share my experiences and, yeah, that's it.

Discussion on Migration and Employment

Thank you for that. And from all three of you so far, education is how your entry point to these different countries, but there are people who do not necessarily take that route. And I'd like to go over to you, Monica, because the government has said that it's going to secure about 400,000 job opportunities abroad. But what is it like? Because I can even see in the comments already people are asking how to get those jobs and whatnot. But I'd like you to tell us a little bit, because you are in the recruitment sector, tell us a little bit about what are the sectors where there's a lot of demand for Kenyan talent and what are some of the regions where there's a lot of demand?

Sectors in Demand for Kenyan Talent

Thank you, Claire. I have been a recruiter in Kenya, licensed by the government of Kenya through National Employment Authority for the last ten years. This is my 11th year, actually. And the main sectors or the jobs that Kenyans, we get a lot of demand for basically technical skills. That is the skills that our people are trained from tvets, the plumbers, the masons, the engineers, the carpenters. That has come up lately to be one of the strong sectors where our people. We are getting a lot of demand from.

Shifts in Demand from Traditional Regions

And now on the regions. Our biggest region has been gulf for the longest time, that is the gulf countries or the Middle east countries. But for the last three or four years, we have seen a lot of demand from Europe, from America, Australia, UK, and I've seen also a lot of people migrating Kenyans to go and work there through visa, work visas, not education or visits, where as agents, we are able to get a demand from a company, maybe like in Canada or in the UK, you certify the demand with admissions abroad.

Recruitment Process and Procedures

We request the people. The skill test in Middle east and in Europe or Canada is really. It's quite different. The way the interviews are conducted and even the period, the process, you'll find someone going to go taking three weeks or two weeks to travel there, but you'll find someone going to America, even taking a year, nurses taking even two years before they are deployed. Even Australia, we have cases of four to six months on work visas.

Attributes of Kenyan Candidates

So one of biggest talent that we have as Kenyans is our English speaking ability. And English being one of the languages that we speak very well from our education curriculums in Kenya tells us a lot. Kenyans, we have really good English where our people are able to pass the NCLex, the ilets exams well and they are able to be deployed easily. We also are our hard working nation. When you tell a Kenyan what is there for them, we really work hard. That has also given us a good chance among other nationalities that we share these markets with, especially in east and Central Africa.

Competitive Edge in Job Markets

We find that you may be given a demand for ten Kenyans and 20 Ugandans, but Kenyans end up taking their whole positions. So, so far, that's how the region, the sector and the talent has been for us who are in this recruitment space. And I can say it has been quite a learning journey because our labor policies and the policies on these countries are a bit different. So most of the time you have to conform or to work to recruit in such a way that you will meet the need of that employer in that region according to their country's labor policies.

Adapting to International Recruitment Standards

That's why lately you have seen organizations like tivets really supporting us. Even our president being very vocal on labor migration. The other day, some tivets were prior learning activities were launched whereby now, if you don't have the papers but you are well experienced worker or you have that skill but you don't have the paper, you can go for prior learning and you are certified and you are able to get this job. So that's how it has been so far.

Consequences of Labor Migration Initiatives

Okay, thank you. So you mentioned a number of things about that ability to speak English fluently, giving Kenyans an upper hand and just their industriousness being a good factor for them. And the gulf being one of the main recruiting places and technical skills being in demand. And we'll get a little bit more into that. But I'd like to hear from you, Professor Mwanda, with this migration. You do a lot of research in migration, such incentives, such as the fast tracking of passports.

Insights on Labor Market Trends

I'm even seeing in the comments people who are saying their passports are ready, they're ready to go and whatnot. What is the impact on Kenya's labor market with such incentives? Yes, we are trying to tackle unemployment, but then what is the long term effect when we have things like facilitation of the air travel, people being told that you can go and take jobs abroad. What is the long term impact on Kenya's economy? Yeah.

Discussion on Migration as a Double-Edged Sword

So the government's effort to secure jobs for Kenyans abroad is laudable. But remember, it's a double edged sword. I. I think that the challenging part of it is that's an admission from the Kenya government that they failed to provide for opportunities for Kenyans domestically, locally. And I think it's a problem in terms of our long term planning for education because we've expanded the level, the number of our universities, but it's really been done on a political basis not strategically, which is why you have this mismatch of.

The Mismatch in Education and Employment

Dennis was speaking earlier of graduating as an industrial chemist and ending up working in the bank. There's a lot of human resource wastage, if I could call it that, or mismatch. Maybe wastage is harsh, but mismatch. And you spoke about the migration and the long term effects of that. I think, again, they are both positive and negative. So I'll give maybe three broad examples here.

Examples of Other Countries and Their Approach

If you look at countries that have specialized in exporting their human labor, which is what Monica was alluding to in terms of how she prepares Kenyans. So I'll give example of Mexico, say, the Philippines, Bangladesh and India. You know, these are countries that deliberately like the Philippines, they deliberately encourage their citizens to go abroad. Now, this is positive because you get the remittances from the millions of, for example, Filipinos or Mexicans who send money back home.

Challenges and Opportunities of Labor Exportation

But, you know, there's also the human resource challenge because you lose a lot of your best and brightest. Think of the number of electrical engineers, doctors, teachers that come here from the Philippines or from India. Those countries lose that human capital.

National Psyche and Migration

It's also a negative on the national psyche because anytime a country sends its best and brightest abroad, that's an admission of the failure of the government at home. But then the third element of that is the abuse of migrant labor. And we've seen this. A lot of these cases say with Filipinos being abused in the Middle east, with Mexican workers being abused in the US, and even with, of course, with our Kenyan workers being abused and treated, you know, very wrongly abroad. So, you know, I'm not necessarily against creating opportunities for Kenyans abroad, but there's both positives and negatives. And in a lot of cases, we lose our best and brightest. We have that migrant labor abuse. We have a skills mismatch in terms of how we develop. You know, the country invests so much in these people in this youth, but you export them abroad to benefit another country. I think that's a huge problem. But the flip side of that, of course, is there's also benefits because you get remittances from these, you know, this migrant labor abroad.

Social and Psychological Challenges

Lastly, let me just mention this last point. Social challenges, social and psychological challenges for these individuals, right? Because a lot of these effects are not always monetized, then they're not always material. So, for example, in my case, I've been abroad over almost 30 years. You know, I've missed the birthdays of my nephews and nieces. You know, my dad passed away, and I was abroad. You know, I'm not able to meet with the family. So there's this huge disconnect, you know, with. With people being abroad and being abroad a lot because you can visit once or twice a year, but it's different than being in Kenya. So I think for people on the panel who are listening to this, you know, being Maju or being abroad is not always a bed of roses. There's a lot of sacrifices you make because of. It's not just about the money. There's social networks you miss. There's friends you missed. There's the weather. You know, New York, half the year, we're in winter, so there's the weather. You know, I don't get the beauty of African weather.

Balancing the Effects of Labor Export

So it's also. It's also one of these balances that you really have to seriously think about. But there's both positives and negatives in terms of export of labor. Okay, thanks for that. And you've actually brought out a very important point because, yes, as you said, there is that loss of the best talent, but there's also that social element that not many people think about until they're there. As you said, it can get very cold, and that can even. There are studies that have shown that even leads to poor mental health and things like that. So maybe I could rope in Dennis to that. Could you speak a little bit to the issue of the social element Wanda has spoken of? You know, he's missed the birthdays of his family members. I mean, his father passed away and he was far away. Speak about that social element that people need to factor in even as they're taking those jobs abroad.

Remittances and Economic Impact

So, yes, I think I, first of all, want to agree with professor in what he has said as far as the importance of or the importance of this job provisions abroad is concerned. First of all, of course, you can see in April of 2024, Kenya. Kenya had about 52 billion in remittances from the diasporans in one month. That was in April. But if you look at January to April, we had about 210 billion in remittances from the diasporans. So it's a lot of money. Again, this in its own should be. Should be a positive to tell you that it's not that bad, because if life abroad will be that difficult. We will not be having 210 billion coming back home in four months from the diasporans. So it tells you that at least there is something you can do. But again, it helps you to be exposed to different cultures, to see things from different perspectives and brings down the overall joblessness down because, again, let's be clear, there is no way any government can just reduce joblessness in about one year, two years, three or even five years. It cannot happen.

Psychological Implications of Opportunity Cost

So we supplement that by whichever means possible, as we want to build the economy and gain the benefits. 2015, years down the line, people need to eat today, people need to feed their families today. So would they rather be jobless or I be abroad and do something? So they'll rather be there. But as you have asked me, let me talk about some things that I think would be the downsides of being abroad. First thing, of course, there is an opportunity cost to everything in everything. You are in Kenya and you're not abroad, you're missing something. I'm abroad, I'm not in Kenya and I'm missing something as well, as professors say. So it's a balancing act. It's a very delicate balancing act. So one of the things that I think sometimes you will miss is that genuine social circle, that of your real people, however much I try, and I'm a very sociable person for those who know me, I've not really felt that genuine, that really genuine jokes, laughter, the hugs of my people, the way I feel it back in Kenya.

Cultural and Social Disconnection

And for those who follow me, you see the difference in my happiness, the way I was in Kenya. And I was very happy going for this Prince Inda, going for Johnny Junior and all that. These are the beautiful things that we really take for granted until you leave the content, you see how beautiful this can be. So, yes, we have to. You have to be sure that we have to be genuine and honest, that you will miss a bit of the social life. I understand that people's lives and people's stories are different, but I talked to so many people and they told me, yes, it's a sacrifice that can be made and has to be made. Another thing, you know, across Europe, specifically UK, Germany and maybe Hungary and many other countries, and even the US, to some extent, we have been having a lot of anti-immigrant sentiments growing and the far right have been capitalizing on this. Just a few months ago, you could see in the UK, we had a lot of riots.

Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Experience

Okay, fine. These riots were triggered by someone who went and stabbed children in a concert or something like that. But this has been boiling up for ages and ages. The anti-immigrant sentiments, the anti-Muslim sentiments that are in this country has been growing. Remember, however much we might want to gloss about it, when you come to Europe, you realize that there were mzungu who were poor, very poor people, very genuinely poor people. Mzungu is really poor, not educated, very poor. You find yourself, oh, I'm actually much richer than many people in this country and I'm a foreigner. So these people are not very happy to see you come take a job and do all that. You start hearing them say, oh, this could have been my job, this could have been my income. So these sentiments come out. Sometimes you see them in a very open way, okay?

Microaggressions and Subtle Challenges

Someone calling out the street, which is very rare in places like the UK, very rare. But sometimes you can see it in a very subtle way, in a microaggressive way, because I deal with microaggression within my literature, within my research, a lot. So you can feel a microaggression way, people treating you coldly to some extent because they think you are a foreigner. There's a lot of othering. You're different, you're not, you don't belong. So that can happen, but those are challenges that you have to deal with. Thirdly, of course, there could be people who were there to exploit you in some countries. And this is where we thank God to a big extent in the UK. I know somehow in the US and Germany, there are a lot of very strong labor laws, very strong labor laws, and still it's not perfect.

Living Conditions and Job Security

I visited some gentlemen across who are just about 20 minutes drive from where I live. There were Kenyans that had come through a college. I'll get the name of the college. That college is in Kakamega, an agricultural institute. And when they came, the gentleman I went to see them, they live in a caravan. They live in a caravan. They sleep in a caravan. Yeah. That is the truth. They live in a caravan. It's not a very comfortable. But for him, he was okay. It's okay. Provide money. That's. That's fine by me. So I don't. I do not think it's a perfect working condition. Again, after a while, several of them were fired from those jobs because they were not plucking the fruits fast enough. So you see, the colonialist attitude is still there. Like, you are my slave of some kind. I'm not saying in literal sense, but someone picks.

Working Conditions and Employment Regulations

You should be picking fruits quickly, you know? And if you don't pick it quickly, you risk being fired. And I've seen that happen as well. But when it comes to the overall working condition, it's not too bad. In the UK, there is a minimum wage that is cast on stone. It has to be paid and that has to be paid for sure, and that protects the workers. The last thing that I might say is not very glossy as well, is the term of these contracts. Most of these contracts are just six months, the ones I've seen. But this counts for something. You know, if I can pay you 2000 pounds, which is about 330,000 shillings every month for six months, it's much better than someone who does not get that. So yes, there is that money, but you have to put into your mind that it is a bit of a very short contract.

Temporary Employment and Its Challenges

It might be renewed, but it's a short contract. Lastly, the downside of these short term jobs, and I'm focusing specifically on short term jobs, because I know majority of the people want to know when I'm going for these jobs that Ruto is bringing people on. You're going to be in a farm, you're going to be in, you'll be fruit picking, you'll be fruit parking and all that. The last thing you must also be psychologically ready for is that these jobs are in the interior places. They are in the farms, as the word says, in the farms. So once you land at the airport, the company sends their car and they take you to the interior parts of the UK for if you like, and therefore you are cut away from the society. You know, even when you want to go to the market, you have to plan and arrange and all that.

Overall Sentiment on Working Abroad

So those are the things I've seen. But overall, because you have told me to speak about the negative things. So my sentiment is more or less negative, but I think overall it's worth it. Overall it's worth it. But as professor said, we don't want to bring this notion that is all rosy, it's all beautiful. If you just land and everything falls on your laps. No, there is an opportunity cost, there are things you have to work towards, there are sacrifices that you have to actually make. So I'll leave it at that clan, and if you give me an opportunity, I'll continue later. Okay, thank you for that. I think those are quite a number of points that you've put out there.

Challenges in Immigrant Contracts and Agreements

So sometimes, as you said, there's that element of that microaggression, and then the contracts may not be very favorable. And then you say that a very real factor of subtle elements of microaggression that one has to think about. And then, as you said, sometimes you think you're landing in the city, you're going to be working in the city, but as you said, you may have to take plan. It's a trip because where your beast may be in a far-flung remote area. So we'll come back to that a little bit. But I'd like us to speak a little bit about some of the agreements that are assigned on these jobs and whatnot, and I'll direct that question to you. Maj. Right now the president is in China. There's that forum on China Africa cooperation summit that's happening, and there are deals that have already been signed there.

Germany-Kenya Labor Agreements

I'd like us to talk about some of the deals that come with when it comes to labor agreements and work abroad. What are some of the pros and cons that come with them? Thank you so much, Claire. In Germany at the moment, Kenya and Germany have signed or are working on a labor migration agreement. This agreement is very important for Germany, not only for Kenya, for Germany, because they had stagnation in the economy. So they're looking towards tapping into our young population that can bring in, you know, the workforce. Now, bilateral agreements, I think the president is coming in to sign it on the 13th and 14 September. He's going to be in Berlin to sign it. So bilateral agreements in general are not a bad thing, but they should stick to the, you know, the bilateral agreement point of it and not like the government more of turning into a recruitment agency.

Pros and Cons of Labor Migration

And also, one thing about these countries, especially Germany, and this was very open in the media, they will not give you something without asking for, you know, without getting something back. So what Germany is getting from every country that has, is signing these bilateral agreements is that those countries are going to fast track the deportation. So if you're a Kenyan in Germany and your status is not yet stable, do try to make it stable because the laws are not going to be on your side soon. I know we don't want to really just live in a bubble whereby we're saying as we are, okay, we want to look also after our people out there. And some of these things, even people who came in legally, may end up finding themselves in situations that are not yet illegal, but they're very difficult.

Remittances and Financial Contributions

Just know that you need to maneuver your way. Now, many people speak about the remittances that we bring back home, but I'd like to share an example in Germany. If you're working as a Kenyan in Germany, first of all, 30% to 50% of your salary is going to Germany. So what you're sending back home is maybe up to only 5% of your salary every month. But every month 30% to 50% is remaining in Germany. Apart from that, the labor, the pension system is such that those who are actively working are paying the pension of the pensioners. So those coming in are actually coming to pay in to pay for the old Germans, you pay for their pension, which average of, I think 1500 or about to 2000 in the western Germany and lower the eastern one.

Balancing the Costs of Migration

But that is what Kenyans are coming to do here. But we at that point neglecting the bucket back home. So I think there should be a balance. The government should really ensure that if they have bilateral agreements, they're not like making their home countries bleed too much. Because for this, Kenya is going to bleed a lot for Germany. But I mean, that is what they want, that is the policy. So it's up to ours to find ways of learning how to deal with the situation. So I can. I understand that sometimes people in the government positions cannot talk freely about it, but what I can tell those who are listening is take advantage of the opportunity.

Opportunities for Skilled Workers

Also, if you're a medical doctor, especially if you want to go into ophthalmology, go in there, the eye doctors you needed, the IT people, clinical research, mathematics. I hear about jobless mathematicians in Kenya. It's a shock because that is hot cake in Germany, physics, biology. But if you're going to do biology, be very careful because it's highly saturated. We have a lot of postdocs in biology know how to market yourself now. So the pros that I'm seeing on this end for us is really not as high. But I'm just trying to give, like, you know, an overview of how we can, the benefits that we can get when we are in Kenya and, sorry, in Germany, for example, Dennis talked about contracts that are not, that are short.

Employment Contracts in Germany

In Germany, if you have to give an employee a contract that's not permanent, you can only do it once when you want to do it the second time. The law requires of you to explain why, apart from that, you have benefits. Like if you're on maternity, then you can get 60% to 65% of your salary for one good year. And then after that you're entitled to two other years of maternity. But those are not paid. And of course, the health care insurance is good. Yeah. But again, what I'd like to say, just concentrate and have the good language skills. If you cannot afford to come directly as a student, make use of the voluntary services that we have in Germany, like, you know, the Opia one.

Educational Opportunities and Recommendations

And before this bilateral agreement, the companies in Germany had already started identifying Africans and bringing them over through some fellowships. That's actually just taking guys who are two. They have a work experience of two years and above, and then they give you the exposure for one and a half years here in Germany. Use those opportunities. But what I really do not want to see is you coming to Germany to pick flowers, refuse. Because this country is a rich country. I'm telling you very openly, their culture doesn't allow the people to talk about their richness. So you will sit with them, you will dance with them, they will not tell you how much they're earning.

Skills and Language for Success

So come in here with a skill. Even if you're not going to the university, go to vocational. Just get your skills and get the language. So the only way you're going to bypass this huge disadvantage of being deported back home or falling into all these social systems that are unfavorable for you is when you really have a skill. When you do have a skill, especially, look, they tighten it for much Kenyans, but in Germany, you only need C and above. Go and study. If you study, and the younger you are, go up there until PhD. PhD is a basic degree in Germany. Once you get there, but don't become a professor. Sorry, Professor Mondra, a lot of professors are not paid well.

Job Opportunities and Immigration Considerations

Once you get there, you're going to really have head hunters coming for you and you will not look for a job. But of course, there are also downsides which people spoke about people being very, you know, not social. It is just their culture. But nevertheless, just check because moving forward, Kenya, having signed this agreement, it means that you can be deported easily than many years ago. Back to you, Clara. I hope I did not take a lot of time.

Closing Statements

Okay, thank you.

Introduction and Sustainability of Job Opportunities Abroad

Thank you for that. A number of points that you've mentioned there and the government not acting like a recruitment agency, but I'd like to sample some comments. But before that, I think I'd like Monica to speak a little bit about the sustainability of the opportunities available for Kenyans abroad because you've spoken about some of these agreements. And also Dennis has mentioned that issue of, you know, how the contracts are made for people who are coming to work as migrants and whatnot. So, Monica, speak to us a little bit about how sustainable these jobs are and what are some of the trends when job seekers are looking for these employment opportunities abroad? Then I'll sample the comments.

Insights on Job Contracts and Sustainability

There are a number that have come in. Thank you, Claire. The contracts, I can say from a recruitment perspective, they are sustainable because they are time-bound and if one goes there with a target, they are able to meet their needs back home. And some of the contracts are well structured because you find yourself with a medical cover, you find yourself with accommodation, you find yourself with transportation or provided by the employer. And some places, like in the Gulf, you don't pay taxes, so you take home, your net is your own; there are no deductions. Also, we see some companies, some contracts in Europe and Australia where the taxes are quite minimal for migrants. So I think they are sustainable depending on what one is looking for.

Bilateral Labor Agreements and the Role of Recruiters

And then you have some contracts that lead to migration paths whereby you work after maybe two years, you get a PR, which is permanent residence. After certain years, maybe after four years, you get permanent residence. So I think the contracts, most of them are quite attractive, but that is if you get the right employer and you end up doing where you are not mismatched on your skill. And also most of those contracts are renewable. In the Gulf, you may find someone having worked for the same company or different companies for a period of even ten years because you can renew and you can also go up rank-wise. Now you have the experience, you understand their culture, you are basically in it and you can have your career growth. So I think they are quite sustainable and people are happy.

Comments on Career Progression and Stability

So that some of the people we have taken there took them when we were starting working as recruitment agencies and now they're still there ten years down the line. If someone is still there and is able to maintain their families, others even see them migrating, their children, becoming citizens. So I think they're quite sustainable and if they are wealthy, structured. But on the bilateral, if I may just touch on the bilateral labor agreements, bilateral labor agreements are signed between governments, but you also have MOUs, which we are B2B now as agents, and agents on the other end. It is for our government, if it's listening from a recruiter's perspective, we want to meet, or we want our government to create an environment whereby the recruiters in Kenya are able to meet the recruiters in those countries.

Government Support and Recruitment Agencies

The government does not have to recruit; they license us to recruit. So allow us and give us that space where we will talk as agent to agent, our recruitment language, whereby as an agent I'm able to pick a contract from this country to this region or that country and compare, because most of labor laws are the same. We have ILO where we tag most of our ILO conventions and laws, where we take most of our policies from, and they are all the same. So when I go to negotiate as a recruiter for my fellow Kenyans, I may negotiate differently from how my government will negotiate for them, whereby I will say, if this contract I find it too short, I may be able to negotiate for a longer period.

Community Feedback and Job-Seeking Experiences

Now I want to sample a number of comments. There are a lot of comments and a lot of requests to speak. I'll allow people to speak, but let me sample some comments. And then Dennis will speak about transitioning from studying to working abroad because I've seen a lot of questions on that. But just to take a few of the comments, there's one here from George who says the greatest takeaway of working abroad is taking advantage of their saving culture and wealth management programs. Then Marocco says, Canada is extremely cutting off immigration routes as they approach elections. And Nikki says, I've tried searching for a job locally and I've never been successful. I am very ready with my passport for any opportunity that comes.

Struggles and Aspirations in Job Hunting

I have really tried and have never been successful. Is there a link on how I can apply so as people looking to take those opportunities? Okombe says, I decided to get a passport and I tried my luck outside Kenya. After being jobless since 2018, I'm yet to secure a good job. It's not easy getting a job abroad with the many con recruitment agencies. I'm currently learning a language. Okay, so that is from him. Mundalo says, could someone help me? Nikona passport. But I've, I have not been able to get work. Okay. A lot of will request that. Jockey says, the social element comes, we need employment to earn a living. Okay. Bamboo says, I have a diploma in electrical engineering. Which country can I get work?

Job Opportunities and Paths to Success

Zechacha says, this is a good discussion. Thank you. Nyagaka says, I have my passport ready. Any links for jobs? Makoha says, I got a very beautiful experience to share. We'll give you the mic. Let me take two more. Ndongo says, thank you for the initiative. I've tried to apply for PhD positions in nutrition. Any leads then? Chacha says, must someone be well versed with German for them to move to Germany? Marge will address that. So a lot of people looking for jobs, a lot of people looking to transition from their studying to working. But I'd like to give some of the listeners a chance to speak and keep the comments brief because we are running out of time.

Real Experiences of Living Abroad

Thank you, Claire, you can hear me. Yeah, it's a good discussion. I think I will just go straight to the government effort. To the government effort to secure a job for Kenyans and abroad I think is commendable. But they also come with challenges like immigration hurdles, potential exploitation and the strain of families left behind. These are issues that are there and the speaker have talked about it. While these opportunities I believe are beneficial, they shall not replace the need of building a stronger economy at home that provides sustainable jobs.

Contrasting Experiences and Challenges in the Diaspora

The other thing I want to talk about that has been said is about bilateral agreement. I think it's mutually beneficial to Kenya interests, but it should be done in a transparency and accountable manner to avoid any imbalances that may disadvantage our people when they go to the job market. For me, I work as a healthcare in Toronto. I work in a forensic mental health. And it's not all rosy. As the speaker said. I'm here for 17 years now in Canada and I think there is a unique mix of opportunities and challenges, whether in healthcare, whether it's in IT education industries, the chances to grow professionally, to contribute to the global community is deeply fulfilling.

Opportunities for Short Courses and Workshops

I support her also in that line. And it's not just about coming to study. You can come also to do short courses. You can come if you're a sports person. I work with universities and institutions here for musicians, art people, content creators, people that you might just want to come here and do a short course for three months. So there's a whole range of opportunities. You can reach out to me on social media, you know, with my contact. You just place in Professor Monda, you'll find me online. Or you can reach out to Claire, she does some excellent workshops and I'd really encourage you to follow up on that.

Discussion on Migration and Employment Opportunities

Thank you for that, Wanda. We are running out of time. I would like to sample some more comments, but we are running out of time. So there was one here that was interesting. I think I've lost it. But a lot of people are saying that they have their passports ready and they're just ready to travel abroad. And Doctor Amoth says, what's the legitimate and faster way to get a job in the diaspora? A lot of people ask about legitimacy of these opportunities and whatnot. Someone asked about opportunities in Australia. I cannot go through all of them so kindly. Maybe we'll have another session later because of time. I'd like to go to Monica. Kindly give your closing comments and address what people are talking about in the comments. Some people are talking about legitimacy of some agencies, people being conned and whatnot. So speak to that a little bit and then we'll go to Marge and then Dennis kindly in two minutes.

Addressing Legitimacy of Recruitment Agencies

Thank you. I'd like to tell the people here that we have registered agents by the National Employment Authority. And in their portal, our details are there. You can see where we are located, you can see the addresses, you can see the phone numbers of the directors. And in case you are even, you have a case, you can report to national employment authorities. Now, I also like people to differentiate between a recruitment agency and tours and travel agent. Most tours and travel agents have been doing some recruitment and when things are blown out of proportion, it boils back to the wrong agencies and we are all put in the same basket. So it's a huge difference. And our regulators are two different government entities and we also have associations like ASMAC, we have our office in that street, Kijabi street, that side where you can visit and get to know who are we, where our offices are visit.

Guidance for Aspiring Migrants

No agent that is licensed is a briefcase agent. No agent that is licensed does not have directors that are existent that have been vetted by several state agencies. We are in that space. We are in existence. We have these jobs. We have partners out there who we work with. So please visit us. It is your responsibility and obligation as someone who wants to migrate abroad to do your due diligence. Don't just go calling anybody who is offering an opportunity abroad or who knows somebody abroad, a recruitment agent. We are there. We are known. We are ready to assist our fellow Kenyans find these opportunities. And to our government, we are saying, let us occupy our space as recruiters, allow us to work in that space, go meet our partners in those countries and do the business the legit way ourselves.

Risks and Challenges for Migrants

Because sometimes there is a lot of confusion when you see government state agencies flagging off people and we are wondering who recruited these people. But when cases or there is mismatch out there, it still boils back to recruitment agency. No, we are here. We are ready to do the right thing and to assist our fellow Kenyans. Thank you. Okay. Thank you for that. So, as you said, it's up to you to do your due diligence. So don't just go for anyone who is claiming that they do. They help people travel abroad and then you end up burning your fingers. So do your due diligence on that. Marge, over to you kindly in two minutes.

Education in Europe

Okay. Try to wind up very quickly. I forgot to mention that in Germany, education, actually studying is tuition free until the master's level. And the PhD in most cases is actually also a paid PhD. So basically, you will not going to pay. You're only going to pay for your upkeep there. I want to also highlight that if you're a nurse moving to Finland, you must know that it's going to take you many years to really get into the system because they don't, you know, employ you directly. You need to do other courses. The only sister, let me say, that country that Kenya marries with when it comes to nursing is the UK. And please be informed that if you're coming for nursing in Europe, it's bedside nursing. I like to also point out that if you get a hold of a contract that's written or signed in Cyprus, but bringing you to work to Germany in the, you know, these cruising ships, please get your fingers off them.

Warning Against Exploitative Employment Contracts

We have had many cases of people being mistreated. And they strategically sign these contracts or they make them be legal in Cyprus and not Germany so that they can bypass these strong labor laws in Germany. So people have gotten stranded and moved to Germany later when they were in sea and something like that. Switzerland, if you're moving there, be aware that the labor laws are not as strong and they actually also don't care because they have a lot of money. So then another thing is that, yes, we would wish for the government to also have an enabling environment because like said, the remittances are peanuts as compared to what we're giving these countries, you know, so if we have an enabling environment back home, then the money we have, we're going to push it back to Kenya and create employment.

Challenges Faced by Kenyans in the Diaspora

But at the moment it's not possible because of corruption. And somebody talked about not getting information as Kenyans, but Nigerians are giving that information. We've been holding spaces on diaspora opportunities. So studying and living in the diaspora, but when we are holding spaces on important subjects, unfortunately, people don't come in, they want to come into other subjects. So to I will share the spaces we held before in the comment section, I said, you can check on that. And I think the government also, this is not a citizen responsibility. The government needs to have good contact with the diaspora whereby they're even partnering with the universities.

Partnerships Between Governments and Universities

There's a university in Germany that's partnering with Mount Kenya University. In Kenya, they're doing nursing. They're bringing nursing over NASA. So we need to partner globally with many universities and not leave it to citizens on Twitter space to do that. So that the government, if they're listening, they need to really check on that. So finally, the backside, what is it called? The disadvantages. Alcohol is cheap in Europe. Do not fall prey. You will not know that you're getting addicted. You will think that, well, I'm home, I'm from my studies. I'm so tired. You can use €10. That's about a thousand shillings. You can buy. If you go for the cheapest, you can buy ten bottles of wine.

Dangers of Alcohol Consumption

So you always have them. But that's how your addiction gets barred. You can get your hands dragged very easily. Don't even attempt, because by the end of the day, the system, if you fall off the grid, that's going to be just the end of you. Another thing is that poverty is not visible in Germany. So while you might think that you're okay and probably somebody who's watching from an African country thinks that you reach, you are not. And then you get it. When you get to pension, that's when you realize that. Or even when your kids want to do some sporting activities, that's when you realize that. So really be careful about it if you have to do a manual work, because you must be careful not to really stay longer in that job because once you hit 50, you're not going to be able to physically work in that job.

Age Discrimination in Employment

And Germany discriminates also against their own people. When you turn 50, the jobs that you're going to get are very less, even the qualified ones. So for the manual jobs, keep your fingers off them. Only if you're a student and you're doing them for some time. Yes, but if you must do them because you don't have any alternative, try to save some money so that by the time you reach 50 or mid fifties, you have a different source of employment. Because this economy is huge, it keeps moving and you just destroy you there and have you be poor. Back to you.

Transitioning from Education to Employment

Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that. So do take note of those, the manual jobs and other factors. And last but not least, Dennis, kindly give your closing comments. Hi, Claire. Before I proceed, I think before you opened up for the other speakers, you had requested me to tackle the issue of transitioning from education to employment. Do you still want me to cover that or just make my final remarks? Yes, do tackle it. I'll tackle it very quickly then, I think, because this is very important because again, you see, we have been speaking a lot about people coming from Kenya to the diaspora to work for this short term job, sometimes seasonal jobs.

Importance of Addressing Underemployment

But we forget that there is already a very huge pool of Kenyans in the diaspora and we should be talking more about how they can make their contribution more meaningful. And I'm thankful because I have been in this system for a while now, both participating in it and being as an actor in it. And I see a lot. One big problem. A huge majority of people who graduate, especially in the UK, and I know the same problem in Germany, in Canada, in the US, a huge majority, not everyone, but a huge majority, are seriously underemployed. And you see, I was looking even at the data that was coming out of the UK government and they're saying about 66% of all immigrants who graduate from universities, those are graduates, end up taking jobs that pay them below 26,000 pounds a year.

Mentorship and Knowledge Gaps

And these people then end up being supervised by people who are maybe high school graduates or that. So it's not, it's not an issue of skill. For me, I have assessed this and I think it's not an issue of skill, it's not an issue of will, it's just an issue of probably knowledge and mentorship. So I try to talk to so many young people who come to me and ask me my opinion and I'm seeing a lot of people now succeeding. Just the other day I was with a gentleman who had just gotten an NHS job now as a procurement manager, another one working as a maybe property manager, all kind of things. So my only concern, or my only advice to people coming abroad, please.

Realizing Potential in the Job Market

Yes, we all start from somewhere and we might speak from a position of privilege to say, oh, don't take this job or don't take that job. It's all position of privilege, to be honest. But the reality on the ground is that you have to pay your bills, you have to do what a person needs to do to survive. So you might start somewhere. But please be not con. Do not be content. Do not be content with the little. I remember one of my professors challenged me one time and said, Dennis, you cannot come 6500 miles across the oceans and the mountains to come to the UK to flip burgers.

Pursuing Meaningful Employment

You are not meant. I was not working at McDonald at that time, but he was telling me, you cannot be working in McDonald's flipping burgers. And he told me, working in McDonald's to flip burger is not bad job, but it does not need a master's degree to do that. If you wanted to do that, you could not have done an MBA. And I took that as a very massive challenge or even though I was not working in McDonald's else or such a job. So please. It concerns me to see top graduates, people with MSc project management, people with some people, even with PhD, people with MBA and they end up in care jobs, they end up in customer service center jobs.

Finding Jobs Aligned with Skills

It's not that the jobs are not there, the jobs, to be honest, are there. And when you speak to people and you mentor them, their jobs are actually. So a bit of what we do or what I advise people to do. Being in the UK gives you one important privilege as a student to get experience, to learn the work culture in the country you are living in and to understand the expectations. So this is a very good starting point. Learn, get some experience. It can be internship, it can be voluntary placement, it can be part time work, but it helps you to learn, get the experience.

Importance of CV and Interview Preparation

Then please package your CV properly. People, we are coming from Africa where we are told, oh najaributu, niku kazana too. And that attitude goes even to your CV, where you are now. When you come to this country, you have to be at the forefront, say, I deserve it, I can do it. And I coach some people when they go for interviews. There's a lady I was coaching the other day and she was saying, and this is how she was answering questions, I think I will prosper in this position. No, you have to say, I am certain I will prosper in this position because I'm qualified.

Confidence in Job Applications

And that is the kind of attitude we want to see even in job applications. So how did I do it myself? The first thing I did, or among the very first things I did apart from accumulating experiences is to try to look for the jobs at the right places. Although was doing some basic job at that time, a few years ago I was really focusing on jobs in teaching and those other kinds of jobs and I did a number of certifications for those who have seen my CV. I did my CIPD certification, I did my associate fellowship for Higher Education Academy certification, I became a chartered manager here in the UK.

Building a Robust Profile

I became an associate. I'm actually now a full member of the Equation Equality and Diversity organization and all that. So you put all that together. This was very deliberate. I was not doing it by accident. I was doing it to build a robust, very foolproof profile. And this is what I advise people. So do that, get the experience and have the will to go. Be confident. Sometimes when we see white people in our countries, we tend to be, oh, they deserve better, they deserve the best seat, they deserve to jump the queue.

Challenging Mindsets in the Job Market

And you come with that attitude to Europe. No, fight with them, fight for the positions. Put your CV there, defend yourself in this position and for sure there are managers out there who just want the best employee. And if you can put it forth, you'll do well. Again, as Kenyans we have got advantage of being English speakers. There's a time I said speaking English is a privilege in this world because the best opportunities of work and business are concentrated in English speaking countries to some big extent.

Leveraging English Proficiency

So being an English speaker is good again. Most of the employers here in the UK tell us that Kenyans have got a better or a more neutral English accent compared to South Africans, Nigerians. So we are more better placed to be in customer service jobs or contact center jobs and start off our career. So use this to your advantage and get the proper mentorship. Be with people who have done it before and people who are willing to show you the way. You are new in this country. You don't know the culture, you don't know how to do the CV, you don't know how to where to look for jobs, you don't know how to approach the interview, you don't know if please be humble, look for people who have done it before.

The Importance of Community Support

We all did that and were guided. So I think I will leave it there. Just to mention one worrying thing that I've seen again as far as UK is concerned. Just the other day someone was telling me that there is an uptick of asylum claims from Kenyans in the UK. People coming and then they claim asylum, which is I cannot judge because I don't know the exact circumstances of those claims. But this if are not genuine then has got a potential of downgrading the Kenya's visa profile far to farm.

Education and Study Abroad

Lastly, as far as education is concerned, as far as studying abroad is concerned, I do these spaces all the times. I think Marge does them a lot as well. I just did one the other day on how to do an application end to end. I know the process in and out. I've been a student in masters, student in PhD. I lecture there. I work with students. I speak in organizations. I've been a student leader here. So I have a full overview of how the system works.

Conclusion and Offer of Support

So should you want a conversation, definitely we can have that conversation. Other than that, I wish you all the very best. Be nice to everyone and hopefully everyone will be nice to you. Bye. Thank you. Thank you for that. A number of points to note there on. Just be cognizant of that microaggression. Be cognizant that you're not going there. You can't have done an MBA to go and flip burgers. I think that's a very important point. So as much as you're taking up those opportunities, don't go for the basic flipping burgers and whatnot.

Final Thoughts and Acknowledgments

So thanks for that. I think it's been a good conversation on the different opportunities. There are so many comments, I can't go through all of them, but just listen to this conversation again. Some of the questions that are being asked there have already been tackled in this conversation and we'll have more of them in future. So I'd like to close now because we are way past time. Thanks to our speakers for your time and for your insights and experiences working abroad. And thanks to our listeners for sharing your insights as well and for sharing at the comments section. I'd like to close until next time.