Plight of First Class Honours graduate who can’t find a job – VIDEO
A First Class Honours degree holder has been forced to stay home and take care of her ailing mother and disabled siblings since her graduation in 2015.
Ruth Jemutai Rono graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics from Chuka University on November 13, 2015 and all her attempts to get a job since then have proved futile.
The 27 year old was hustling in Nairobi after graduation until her mother and siblings became homeless after her drunkard father razed down their house.
Speaking to Nairobi News after her story was highlighted by Baringo News, Ruth said she has numerous received calls from well-wishers promising to offer her jobs but none has followed through on their promises.
WORK EXPERIENCE
“The only work experience I have is the teaching I did after finishing high school. I taught Math and Physics in my local school, Kapkelel Secondary. During one of the long holidays I also taught standard three pupils at Kaptumoi Primary School in Elgeyo Marakwet and during other holidays I worked in M-Pesa shops,” she explained.
The second born in a family of nine children is the only one who finished college with two of her siblings disabled.
Her mother has been ailing and on better days she does menial jobs alongside Ruth to afford food for the children.
“It was by grace that I was able to complete high school and campus. I had an outstanding fee balance of Sh90,000 was cleared after one of my teachers organised a quick fundraiser during the prize giving day. The fundraiser realized Sh52,000 which I topped up with a Sh20,000 cash gift I received after scoring an A minus. The school waived the rest,” Ruth told Nairobi News.
The community organised another fundraiser which enabled her to join Chuka University and for the rest of the semesters she survived on Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) disbursements.
EDUCATION LOAN
“HELB have been sending me messages to pay up my loan and recently they warned me that they would now recover the money through my guarantors. In my current situation I’m just helpless, but I intend to pay up when I get a job,” she said.
When Baringo News visited her home in Lelbatai village in Emom Constituency, they found her performing daily household chores as her mother and siblings watched.
One of her siblings, who sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education scored 250 marks, but had to repeat class eight due to lack of school fees.
“I’m hoping by the end of the year I’ll have gotten a job so that I can take her to form one next year,” Ruth said.
Ruth has applied for the recently advertised Baringo County internship program.