Jackson Mukasa, 13 year old orphan, is a class six student at Kongoni Primary School-Nairobi. He lives with his aunt in the Mukuru slums of Nairobi. After school, Jackson is always out in search of casual jobs till 9 pm when he finally goes home. The African Executive caught up with him and he shared some of his experiences.

Jackson: Do you have any siblings?

A.E: I am not sure. My aunt has never told me about them. I did not know about my parents’ death too until my aunt told me a few years ago.

Jackson: What does your aunt do for a living?

A.E: Casual jobs like washing clothes, houses and babysitting. 

Jackson: Does she have any dependants?

A.E: Yes. She has two children who are younger than I.  

Jackson: What is it that you do at Nairobi West shopping centre?

A.E: Look for some casual jobs. I have to get some extra coins to support myself, my aunt and her children. On a bad day my aunt comes home with nothing. That is why I resorted to chip in and assist where I can.  

Jackson: What kind of jobs do you do?

A.E: I guide drivers on where to park their cars, wash hotels and cars, carry luggage and fetch water for people.  

Jackson: For how long have you been doing this?

A.E: This is my second year. Initially I used to borrow money from people. It was not easy as they would ask me all sorts of questions like: What is the money for; you should be in school not out here; can’t you get yourself a job that will earn you some money among others. These questions led to what I do today. I realized I could earn from my sweat instead of borrowing.

Jackson: Why did you choose this specific station and not any other? 

A.E: The people around here are friendly compared to other places I tried. When I shared my problems with a few of them, they were ready to assist. They usually call me for some jobs.

Jackson: How much do you earn? 

A.E: On average I can earn around Ksh. 200 a day.  

Jackson: Do you incur any expenses while working? 

A.E Yes. I buy soap and water when I have to wash cars.

Jackson: What time do you finish your assignments if you work till 9 pm?

A.E When I get home, I take my supper and then study till midnight.

Jackson: How do you get home at 9 pm? 

A.E I pick a passenger service vehicle from Nairobi West shopping centre and alight at South B. From there I walk for about fifteen minutes.

Jackson: Is it secure?

A.E Nowadays Mukuru slums are a bit secure. We have police on patrol each day. Two years ago the place was so insecure. There were cases of robbery each day. It’s now safe though.

Jackson: Describe your day

A.E: I wake up at 6 am; prepare to go to school where I should be by 8 am. I leave school at 4 pm for work till 9 pm every day. I get home at 9.30 pm, have my supper and study till midnight. However, on weekends and public holidays, I go to work at midday till 10 pm. There are more customers on these days.

Jackson: What challenges do you face?

A.E: The major challenge is discrimination. Most customers find me too young. They think that I can not do the job.

Jackson: Who introduced you to this job?

A.E: No one. I needed to help my aunt feed, cloth, shelter and educate us. I asked for a job in some of the hotels and fortunately I got one as a cleaner in three of them. With time I began identifying possible parking spots for drivers and I would ask them if I could also wash their cars. Some would give me the job, and with time I got permanent customers. It was a challenge at the beginning competing with the other people who had been working here and were used to the job. But I did not give up.

Jackson: Do your classmates know about all this? 

A.E: Yes, infact some want to join me. However, since we are from different backgrounds some of them do not understand why I work at my age.  

Jackson: What about your teachers?

A.E: They have been supportive. They ask me not to forget my school work.

Jackson: What are your future plans?

A. To complete my studies and start a children’s home where I can teach orphans entrepreneurial skills. There are many children who are homeless and have no one to turn to; I would like to help them. Some of them grate ideas which go to waste for they have no one to share them with and assist them meet their goals.