It is often said that it is never too late to start over, and for Kenyan lecturer Grace Wairimu, that sentiment is the driving force of her life, as she ditched her plum job working at Kenyatta University to go to the United States in pursuit of a new beginning.
Frustrated like many Kenyans in their careers, Wairimu, after 25 years of lecturing at Mount Kenya University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), and Kenyatta University, felt unfulfilled and chose to begin again.
In 2019, she traveled to the US to visit family and friends, but the trip took an unexpected turn. Frustrated with her pay as a lecturer in Kenya, she began searching for teaching jobs in the US. However, she quickly realized that without the necessary formal qualifications, she would have to return to Kenya. After a brief return, she decided to go back to the US and find a way to make ends meet.
“I had just secured a permanent teaching position in 2018 after teaching since 2006 when I completed my Master’s degree in Information Systems,” Grace narrated, adding how the Covid-19 pandemic led to dismal pay for educators.
“As a lecturer, our financial stability largely depended on projects and part-time teaching opportunities, which became scarce. When I came back to Kenya in December 2020, I decided to return to the US,” she recalled in a past interview.
During her stay, she met the love of her life, and they soon married. This led her to permanently settle in the US, prompting her to pursue a new career path. A year later, she found herself in the caregiving field, assisting in the care of the elderly and the sick.
“I realized that regardless of one’s level of education or wealth, there comes a time when you will need to be taken care of and assisted in doing daily tasks,” the former lecturer whose clients included the elderly, the sick, those in recovery, and those nearing the end of life said.
Starting as a volunteer, she took on a range of tasks from cleaning homes to providing personal care. These humbling experiences laid the groundwork for her journey into caregiving.
To meet the job’s demands, she pursued a Certified Nursing Assistant course, gaining the skills required to land a lucrative position in hospitals and nursing homes.
Over time, she became well acclimated to the job and was pleased with the improved pay. However, she admitted that it came with its challenges, such as long working hours and difficult clients.
“The remuneration is generous. You are paid $15 (Kshs 1,935) per hour onwards. But it is not an easy job. It is physically demanding and emotionally draining. You work long hours and end up with back pains. Sometimes it is back-to-back shifts. Sometimes you have to deal with verbally abusive clients,” she said.
Regardless, she remained committed, giving her all to the job. She reported attending to nine clients a day and being paid hourly, a system that proved more rewarding than her earnings as a lecturer in Kenya, proving that indeed it is never too late to reinvent yourself.
