On Friday, at least 6 universities held their graduation ceremonies, marking a momentous milestone for countless Kenyan students. Congratulations, you did it! After years of late nights studying, early mornings in lecture halls, and what seemed like endless exams, you've finally earned that coveted degree. As you see your name on the graduation booklet, visions of the bright future ahead dance before your eyes. Yet beyond the congratulatory speeches and applause, a harsh reality awaits. The challenges facing university graduates in Kenya today are vast, and the chasm between the idealistic promises of academia and the pragmatic difficulties of the real world yawns wide. Suddenly, the theories that shaped your years of study ring hypocritical when faced with the hard practicalities of life after the university gates close behind you. For many, the days following graduation mark the beginning of a disillusioned struggle to find purpose and place. The university experience, meant to ...
Photo Courtesy| Elvis Ogina In Kenya, a silent struggle rages on as adolescents are pushed to their limits, attending school with early morning start times. Kenyan teens are working themselves to exhaustion. As a teen in Kenya, especially in boarding schools, early mornings are just a way of life. You’re told you need to work hard to succeed, so you push through the fatigue hoping for the best. Scientific studies have pointed out that teenagers naturally have later sleep schedules. So, forcing them to wake up at the crack of dawn is completely counterproductive. Teens and sleep patterns Teens need more sleep, simple as that. Most teens can’t fall asleep before 10 p.m., even when they get in bed earlier. Waking up at the ungodly hour of around 5 a.m. for school means that most teens get an average of 6 hours of sleep contrary to the recommended 8 hours. Such a schedule is a challenging ordeal even for adults, and it underscores the sheer physical and mental toll that early s...