₦airaland Forum

"Dignity in Labour; Graduates Doing Odd Jobs To Survive Harsh Economic Realities" - Dr Kelvin Alaneme Shares Experience.

In September 2019, I arrived the UK 🇬🇧 and had to ‘push barrow’ to survive. I wasn’t just a graduate, I was a medical doctor - a Senior Registrar in UNTH - when I left to pursue a full-tuition Masters scholarship in London. Because my scholarship did not cover living expenses, I was left to figure it out.

Here I was in a strange land, with a good certificate but not yet licensed to practice. I had passed PLAB 1 in March 2018 and had scheduled PLAB 2 in October 2019. Without passing the second exams, I can’t work as a doctor in the UK.

But without finding a job - any job - I can’t survive. I had a wife and two sons at the time who were meant to join me in London the following January. My friend Surya and I applied for Care Jobs but many considered us ‘over-qualified’ for the roles.

As I watched my bank account deplete fast, I knew I had to take action. I called Surya one Saturday and told him that we must get a job that day or I am not returning home.

We set out on a busy road in East Ham and entered every single shop we saw, asking for jobs. It was puzzling for these shop owners - two doctors and MPH students willing to do any job. Many said “No.”We took every “No” on the chin and went into the next shop. And the next. And the next.

Almost at the end of the street, we entered a Grill Shop owned by a Pakistani. He liked our story and asked us certain questions. Satisfied, he employed us on the spot, me as a bartender and Surya as a Chef for one of their branches near Stratford.

It was a part-time gig and the hours were brutal. 6pm to midnight. Mostly weekends. The pay was poor but the job came with its perks - you could order anything at close of work.

I often went home with grilled half-chicken which was good dinner and good breakfast. Not to mention that tips that we all shared at the end of the day. I did quit after one month. But that job saved my life. It gave me time to think and plan.

After I left the job, I began teaching and writing jobs. I taught a wide range of students - from GCSE students (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) to doctors preparing for PLAB 2 (taught briefly at Samson’s PLAB academy).

The teaching and writing jobs paid very well and funded my family joining me in London by January 2020 and everything from then till I started fully working as a doctor.

My point is: there is dignity in all honest labour, including ‘barrow-pushing’ and other menial jobs. The problem is that the Nigerian 🇳🇬 society is caught up in aesthetics because some jobs may not ‘look dignifying’.

Tomorrow, we will complain about how over 50% of our jobless graduates are into Yahoo, ritual killings or full-blown prostitution baptised as ‘hookup’. 🙄

No job is too menial for you to do to survive.
Life is in phases. When you are down, pick anything and claw your way back up. No one pushes barrow forever, not even barrow-pushers. Survive first and worry about aesthetics later.

If you are down bad, menial jobs could be a means to an end, even for graduates. However, if you enjoy doing them and it pays your bills, do them to the best of your ability.

‘Dignifying’ regarding job is relative. The barrow-pushers may find some Care workers who clean up the faeces of service users as doing ‘undignified work’. Where do we draw the line?

Again, don’t allow internet people to fool you. You alone know your personal circumstances. If you need to get your hands dirty, just to claw out of an unfavourable position, please do.Just make sure you succeed in the end.

To live to see that end, it might be necessary to push that barrow today. Push it and don’t look back. You will laugh last. And you will laugh the best. 🙏🏽❤️

©️Kelvin Alaneme, 2025.
#NothingSpoil #PushThatBarrow
#AlaAfrica

@kelvin_alaneme

PREVIOUS THREAD;
https://www.nairaland.com/8447660/graduate-push-wheelbarrow-earn-living#135696857

dignity in labour indeed.
can you tell that to our politicians like ehm........................

U represents us good
Keep it up

Most big brands you see today started as almost, if not one spot, roadside businesses.
Dont be surprised if in ten years, Chinese and Pakistanis start flooding Africa and start scalling up things we term as demeaning today.
Things like Zobo, Akara or even corn/plantain roasting. The average African believes in doing things the stale way and very unwilling to improve. We have rubbished traditional things and have refused to innovate or flow with the world.

Shey dem get wheel barrow pushers for UK?

Several of such unfortunate stories and experiences heard. Only ignorant people would be blaming him for all he's gone through, not knowing it's the deliberate bad policy of the government that led him into that. When we say vote wisely, e get why. Nigerians are really suffering abroad all in the name of japa

So inspiring

What a shame!

Pushing wheel barrow in UK is far better than most salary jobs sef


so make this oga stop comparing wheel barrow pusher for UK with Nigeria that is ridden with corrupt, bad people with only few good,

Who no go no go know

There is reward for hardwork

🙏🏾

It's a no man's land u gat to work to survive

Okay.... So?!!

There is no job that is undignified as long as it suits your level of qualification and certification coupled with a decent pay.

It's an anomaly that a minimum wage earner anywhere in the world can't at least feed and accommodate himself.


There are even citizens of these diaspora nations doing these jobs, and are happy doing them...!


The problem with most Nigerians is their mentality of looking down on Blue collar jobs and craftsmanship...!


No wonder our nation is so pathetic...! That's why people try to bribe their way with large sums just to get civil service jobs that pay the bare minimum.

😂

Good for you. Most of you thinking that PBAT is not doing anything will still come to immortalise him. Oga, push your wheel barrow wella. This is learning the hard way

What causes this is lack of planning. If you don't plan, reality will hit you at some point.

All thanks to the japa virus.

H

It's well.

Lol Motivational Speaker everywhere...



Motivational Speech Dey kill too no be only Accident dey kill...

He dey motivate people while running people street online....

Ok ooo

The best advise, as long as one does not do crime, but any `Job, its worth it.

Same Kelvin that has been called out severally for scäms? 😂 😂 😂 Believe this lamba king at your own periI

Is this not the guy scamming people in the BBC Africa Eye Documentary.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=191CuNRGoos?si=ntjkg8y5kXjZuIyS

Kobicove:
Shey dem get wheel barrow pushers for UK?

That was the essence of the quotation marks to help you.
But alas, you didn't or won't get it.
🤔

Great story to learn from unfortunately, many of the responders above either did not read the story or lack comprehension skills.

Everyone knows his/her struggles. If you have to go low before you go high, so be it.

Is that why he's scamming people for COS

Was this not the guy that was caught by BBC scamming people?

really , maybe they look alike

AutoConsultng:
Was this not the guy that was caught by BBC scamming people?