DIASPORA CONCERN
During a recent tour to Europe, i managed to meet a number of Kenyans who live in the Scandinavian region.
To my surprise these guys work long hours, in severe weather conditions and encountering lots and lots of challenges from high Taxation, High Costs of Housing, High Cost for documentation not forgetting high costs of charges to transfer money back home.
In one business form i managed to have long chat with a group of women who had formed a Chama and were looking for investment ventures in Africa.
As we were chatting i tried to inquire why they opted to save the money in the Chama instead of sending the money to run them a project back home.
You should have seen their faces.
As it emerged out, most Kenyans in the diaspora really want to invest back home and shift to live here. The only major challenge they face is support from their fellow Kenyans back home.
1. Who to Trust
Many family members will lie to their relatives in the diaspora, con them or swindle their money. I had a story of one lady who used to send money to the mum, when she left Kenya she had one kid and she had left the mum with the kid to go look for greener pastures.
Every time the mum would receive the money and lie to the lady that she was saving the money in the bank for her.
The lady would distribute the money very very, this for the kid, this for house needs, this for you mum and the balance you bank for me.
On returning home after two years the lady came to reality with the shock of her life.
The kid was in a public school, not private as the mum had been saying ( We don't know where the money she was sending for school fee went), the house she had sent money to be build for her mum was not there, no food in the house, she had even sent money to buy her a piece of land, there was nothing and in the bank account she had only Ksh. 10,000.
These are some of the stories that Kenyans in the diaspora are going through.
2. High Expectations
In Kenya, most families believe that when one of theirs travels abroad she or he beomes the money generating machine. THIS IS VERY WRONG
Some of these people are going through very difficult situations before they atlast settle. and to add to that they also have responsibilities.
3. Money Transfer Challenges
In Some countries to remit cash back home is really requiring. From high Charges to Taxes and documentation requirements.
4. Fake Friends and Companies
These have swindled Kenyans lots of money until they are scared of investing or trusting people back home.
MY QUESTION IS:
If we are human enough to support these people, the money they send comes to our economy, they build houses, employment will be created for our youths, they build schools our kids benefit, they build hospitals we all benefit, they invest in different avenues we all benefit.
JAMENI, lets for once think beyond the comfort of today and offer assistance to our brothers and sisters in the diaspora.
Not all relatives are bad, Not All Friends are Bad, Not all Companies are Bad
BUT IF YOU ARE IN THE BAD CATEGORY ITS TIME TO CHANGE..........To be Continued
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