Kenyan students learn father's trade as schools remain closed

Alex Wamahiu sat his secondary school leaving exams last year and had secured a place at the Cooperative University of Kenya. However, with the outbreak of the coronavirus and the resulting suspension of learning in Kenya, he has had to put his college plans on hold as he waits for schools to reopen.

His brother, Euphonixe Maina, was already in college studying to be a baker but his studies were also cut short by the pandemic. With schools closed, the two brothers found themselves with a lot of time and nothing to do since they had to stay at home for the whole day.

As a result, Wamahiu and Maina decided to learn their father's trade in order to help him with his work and to occupy their time meaningfully.

"We have managed to learn the fumigation work and we can get rid of rats, cockroaches, lice and any kind of vermin. Through doing this, we have been able to help our parents with their work and avoid being idle," Maina said.

"Since I study baking at school, I have also been taking orders for baking cakes as another way of making some money and staying busy. However, the orders are not that many because the coronavirus restrictions have reduced parties and events where the cakes are used.

Wamahiu said that the duo have been doing the fumigation work for a few months now among other things.

"With the virus leading to school closures, many young people find themselves idle and this can lead one to get involved in activities that are harmful. That is why I would like to tell Kenyan youth that they should not relax. Any opportunity they get to learn something should not be wasted," Wamahiu said.

Maina added that the youth are the future of the country, which is why they cannot afford to be lazy.

"Young people are the ones who will build this country since they are the future leaders. That is why we should come together as young people because we have the strength to work hard," Maina said.

According to Wamahiu, the coronavirus pandemic has both advantages and disadvantages and the youth should not concentrate on the negative effects but adopt a positive attitude.

"We would all like to be back in school because education is very important for our development. However, instead of sitting at home, the youth should take advantage of this time to learn something new. With so much time in their hands, the youth can learn different trades which will keep them busy and earn them money too," Wamahiu said.

The brothers said that they are grateful to their parents who have been supporting them and training them to take up some of these roles.

On Tuesday, George Magoha, Kenya's minister for education, said that colleges and tertiary institutions in the East African country may reopen in September with other schools reopening before January, should there be a continuous drop in COVID-19 cases. Magoha said that a joint committee of stakeholders was monitoring the preparedness of schools and reopening will be pegged to the outcome of the report.