A secondary school teacher in Meru County has opted to take two different jobs: teaching by day and guarding properties by night.
Fabian Kiria Kaburu took the hard decision of becoming a teacher and a security guard to repay a huge loan he incurred while studying at the university.
This unprecedented and courageous decision has left many wondering how he can juggle the two jobs, which are both demanding.
“Since I did not have enough money to pay all my fees at once, when I completed, my fees arrears and other bills had accumulated to about Ksh500,000; so I decided to keep both jobs,” he says, revealing that he is remaining with a debt of only Ksh150,000.
People wonder how he gets time to rest and refresh apart from attending to other social matters.
Currently, the 41-year-old Kaburu teaches Chemistry and Biology at St. Pius Seminary in Meru County, having not secured employment with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
There were lengthy periods that he took out of studies because of poverty, accounting for the years he took to graduate in 2022.
Many are watching keenly the unfolding events, waiting to see the kind of performance his students will post. Some schools have completely refused to take him on board fearing that he might not perform to the set standards.
He dispels that with a thoughtful rejoinder.
“My life has really changed since I became a teacher. I have proven to people that it is possible. I talk to students and motivate them that they can make it despite their backgrounds. I have been rejected by other schools who think I cannot handle their students. But at my school, they do very well,” he said.
To manage both roles, he negotiates with the school timetabler for morning classes so that he can have a short break before his security shift in the afternoon.
Back to when he was studying at Meru University of Science and Technology, he used also to balance his security job and studies. He graduated in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Education Degree.
By John Majau
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