Cate Maina, a Kenyan woman living in the UK, has expressed her concerns about the worsening global economic conditions that have compelled her to be content with a ‘hand-to-mouth’ life.
Cate who moved to England’s capital, London, in search of better opportunities complained about the continually rising rent costs while her salary remained unchanged.
She was after a better paycheck in the UK, that could sustain both her and her loved ones who depended on her back home. Cate works as a renal nurse and has over 5 years of experience in the bag.
“One of the reasons why I left Kenya for the UK was to make enough money to support my family. I have siblings that I educate and look up to me,” Cate wrote on her LinkedIn page (backlink)
Like many new relocators, Cate believed that the UK, being a global economy, was a land of milk and honey. She came to realize that life is just as hard there as it was in Kenya; little to no difference between both countries.
The NHS-employed nurse lives in a shared apartment that can accommodate up to 4 people. She recently received a notice informing her of a 7% rent increase, attributed to the prevailing inflation in the global economy.
The letter also mentioned that she was lucky, as the increase was lower than the overall Retail Price Index of 13.4%.
This means that, every month Cate has to part with Sh. 114,000 (£631) for a room she sarcastically described as ‘the size of a big coffin’
“My room is the size of a big coffin. If I ever invited a friend for a sleepover, we would have to create a makeshift roundabout lest we keep bumping into each other,” she said.
The big salaries Kenyan nurses could earn working in UK
“For all these luxuries that I obviously do not deserve, the rent is increasing, my salary is not.”
Cate has contemplated transitioning to the private sector, but she is currently limited by her work visa. She is also aware that switching to the private sector wouldn’t necessarily provide her with job security.
She has also thought about taking on agency jobs to supplement her income, but her work schedule is too inflexible to accommodate that option.
“I could reduce my NHS hours to make time for agency work but I am in the UK under a skilled worker’s visa which means I am tied by its regulations. So until I one day manage to become independent as far as my immigration status goes, I’m stuck.”
In a past YouTube video, Catherine Maina revealed nurses in the UK are paid far less than what their counterparts in developed countries get. She also highlighted how tax rates in the UK have also been increasing significantly.
“I asked myself a rather funny question last night: Did I leave a hand-to-mouth way of life at home to have a hand-to-mouth way of life abroad?” Cate rhetorically quipped.
