Being a parent without employment is one of the hardest struggles anyone can face. People may see you smiling and assume all is well, yet deep inside you’re overwhelmed by silent battles. As a mother or father, you wake up haunted by worries about school fees, meals, rent, and even the small requests your children make.
This is exactly the life I endured for more than a year after losing my job in Nairobi. My name is Peter, and I live in Umoja. I’m a father of two, and the period I spent unemployed nearly destroyed me emotionally. Every single day felt like a heavy load that refused to lift.
I previously worked in a hardware shop in Industrial Area, but business slowed down and the owner was forced to downsize. I was among the workers who lost their jobs. At first, I believed finding new work would be easy because I had experience. I applied everywhere, moved from one company to another, submitted CVs, and even asked friends to help me get recommendations.
But nothing changed. Months slipped by, and I still had no job. My wife was the only one trying to keep us afloat by selling vegetables at a small stall near our home. Some days she earned so little that we couldn’t even afford supper.
As a man, it broke me deeply. I felt useless and ashamed. On some mornings, I pretended to leave for work so the children would believe I still had a job, but in reality, I was just roaming around, praying for a breakthrough. The pressure became so overwhelming I could… TO READ MORE, TAP HEREa
