JAMILA’S MEMO: On university degrees and jobs

When we were growing up, there was a lot of emphasis on education. I still remember the song “someni vijana, mwisho wa kusoma mtapata kazi nzuri sana” the belief back then; education was the key to the ultimate success and without it one’s future was doomed. In fact, siku hizo anyone who tried to venture into athletics or football would be told to wacha michezo. Even now for some parents when they see their children going for games or sports, they get worried.

Every year when national examination results are announced, we celebrate those who do well, we lift them up high, proud of their hard work. Happy to hear them say they want to be pilots, engineers, doctors, architects, and we are even happier when they get admission into the best schools around. And admission to universities is usually the icing on the cake. The belief is shule nzuri, matokeo mazuri, kisha kazi nzuri na baadaye maisha mazuri.

That importance of education has been drummed into the society such that families sell everything to ensure their kids attain an academic qualification. I am picturing what happens during graduation days in the various universities, a whole village shows up to celebrate. I can also just see the “moshaino” round the neck of the graduate, a moment of pride for the village. This is because of the belief that once that level of education has been attained, the whole village will be lifted; yaani kila mtu atafaidika mtoto wetu akisoma.

But now we are being told that even this important education, this degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. During a graduation ceremony at JKUAT, the Deputy President poured cold water on the hopes and dreams of graduands; not just those seated at the event in their gowns and caps, but thousands others in the same boat by saying that there are no jobs for them.

I would here liken graduation to the birth of a baby; an important rite of passage. A child is born with all the fragility of a new born. The baby is in a zone where they are not aware of what to expect from their parents or the environment they are born in. For minutes, hours, days and months, the child depends on his/her parents for everything.. This is the beginning of a lifetime of responsibility.

As for the graduation, there may be no labour pains, but the situation is similar. These are young citizens, hoping to get into the labor market with lots of expectations as well as uncertainty, in a world that is competitive, and also full of negativity. When they sit there in their gowns, happy and excited but also scared and worried, they are looking for an assuring voice. One that will tell them that all will be well; Yes, there will be bumps along the way, but all will be well. They are looking up to their parents for this assurance. They are also looking up to their leaders for guidance and opportunities. Yes, we cannot ignore the reality we face as a country. The opportunities that are available are very few compared to those eyeing them; jobs are not handouts, but it is the government’s responsibility to provide an environment for jobs or opportunities for these educated Kenyans instead of painting a picture of doom and gloom.

Some qualities of good leadership are empathy, courage, respect and problem solving skills, qualities that are important in the leadership of a county. The blanket statement should not have been made in public and dashing the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the new graduands. The Deputy President's words carry a lot of importance, and the consequences of those words will be felt by many; those with degrees and those who aspire to get one.