By: Harun Salat
Graduates from Wajir’s teachers training college have decried of high unemployment rate, appealing to the county government of Wajir to employ them.
The teachers who have diploma in Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) have staged demonstrations in Wajir to put their message across.
Zeitun Abdi Gedi, a single mother raising 5 children, said she started the teaching course in 2014.
“Mr. Governor, please look into our situation. You are the leader of Wajir, consider the mothers when employing. I have TSC number and I think there is nothing that disqualifies me from being employed. Don’t demoralize us, we want to aim higher and pursue degrees,” Zeitun appealed.
She further added that inflation in the country and high cost of living is affecting them in the same way the other Kenyans are affected and that the little salary they earn as BOM teachers doesn’t satisfy their need.
The ECDE trained teachers have emphasized the need to have new recruitment since the last one was almost 10 years.
“I am a mother of 5, I am a teacher at a local school as PTA with 10 thousand shillings as my salary. Surely, what will 10 thousand do for a single mother with 5 kids. Everybody is aware of the high cost of living, there are crisis in life.”
“We ask the County Government to create jobs since the last official recruitment was in 2014 when devolution started. Without blaming it, we ask the government to look into our matter. In the last 10 years a lot of people graduated with Diplomas, Degrees and some even pursuing Masters with no employment,” asserted Hassan Ibrahim.
They have called out the MCAs for prioritizing minor issues compared to the upbringing of the kids and educating them, highlighting the needs to have more teachers in Wajir as the villages increase in number hence more demand for teachers.
“Since devolution started there is an increase in the number of the villages and there are children in those villages. Every kid has to get quality education and theses teachers have the sole responsibility of building those kid’s foundation like anybody else in their childhood including those in power now. We appeal to the government to give those children their right to education and employ teachers for them,” highlighted another teacher.
