Blogger Mphela:
When I completed my studies, I had a crisp CV, big dreams, and a mind full of grand expectations. Like many young people in Likuyani, I believed that holding qualifications meant direct entry into an air-conditioned office with a smooth monthly salary. Lakini kwa ground, mambo ni tofauti sana.
After sending over a hundred job applications online and dropping hard copies in offices across town, reality hit hard. No callbacks. No interviews. Ni ma-regret na "We will call you" yenye haikujangi. Sitting at home doing nothing was taking a toll on my mental health, so I decided to adjust my mindset and step onto the ground.
My first real job experience wasn't in a comfortable corporate setup; it was right here at home in Likuyani. I partnered with a local friend to start a small agri-hustle and offer digital services—helping local farmers market their produce online while providing basic cyber services using a second-hand laptop and a smartphone.
Hustle ya mtaa haina glamour. Waking up at 5:00 AM to handle logistics, dealing with delayed payments, and facing people who look down on you because you aren't wearing a suit daily was a huge reality check. There were days when form ilikua mbaya kabisa, and the daily returns couldn't even cover internet data and dinner.
However, that experience shaped my character in ways formal education never could. It taught me resilience, financial discipline, and problem-solving under pressure.
“My experience made me realise that youth unemployment in our region is not simply about a lack of effort or talent.
For many young people, the bigger challenge is the shortage of capital, opportunities and access to markets.
”Wasee wako na passion na ma-ideas hatari, lakini capital na opportunities ndio shida.
An Idea for Change:
If we want to transform Likuyani, we must redefine what "job creation" looks like for the youth:
Digital & Innovation Hubs: Establish community ICT hubs across our wards where youth can access fast internet, learn digital skills, and work remotely for global clients.
Support for Agri-preneurship: Move away from traditional farming and equip youth with modern agribusiness techniques, value-addition facilities, and direct market access.
Accessible Youth Micro-Funds: Simplify local youth grants and micro-loans so that young entrepreneurs with practical business ideas can access capital without bureaucratic roadblocks.
To my fellow youth in Likuyani: Bila hustle, hakuna success, lakini hatufai kukubali ku-stuck kwa survival mode milele. Our struggles today should spark the ideas that build tomorrow. Let’s keep pushing, supporting each other's businesses, and demanding better spaces to thrive.
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