“There’s dignity in work”: Woman shifts from lecturer to cleaner job in Canada

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- A former university lecturer who relocated to Canada filmed herself cleaning a hotel bathroom while dressed in scrubs and a headscarf

- She posted the video on TikTok after critics questioned her decision to swap her academic career for a cleaning job abroad

- An abroad-based woman named Divine weighed in on the debate, sharing her thoughts on why people take up any legal work to survive overseas

A former university lecturer who moved to Canada has fired back at those mocking her new life after a video of her cleaning a hotel bathroom went viral on TikTok.

Dressed in navy blue scrubs and a patterned headscarf, the woman was seen in the clip moving through what appeared to be a hotel bathroom with a spray bottle in one hand and a green microfibre cloth in the other.

Her relaxed demeanour, playful gestures at the camera and visible smiles told a clear story: she had no regrets about the path she had chosen.

Cleaner Claps Back at Critics

Rather than avoid the comparisons people were drawing between her former status as a lecturer and her current role, she addressed them head-on through her TikTok account, @Jojo's lifestyle.

Financial independence, the video made clear, mattered more to her than the opinion of strangers online.

Divine, a woman based abroad who commented on the story, offered a perspective many in the diaspora will recognize.

"There's honestly no shame here. People don't know you and people mind their businesses here. It's not like in Nigeria where everyone is on your business. Here nobody cares. Just do your thing to earn money," she said.

How TikTok Users Reacted

The video drew a wave of responses from people who had walked a similar road. Many shared their own stories of starting at the bottom before building something meaningful.

@Mimi said:

"It only gets better dear. I cleaned for 6 months, then I landed a job in Microsoft Toronto."

@BBB_Fafronlife said:

"My Ist job in Canada was a cleaning job. Me that have PHD and a lecturing job before l left 9ja. But today I have a home day care and even got grant to fund it. Will start my cleaning business soon. Sis you can start your own and later employ persons. There is money in cleaning business."

@Eazy, MEng added:

"In life, as long as you're moving it's always impressive. A lazy person with zero positivity will never climb the ladder of success. Lot of us here know where we started from. Document lot of moments like this. You'll be glad you did. Cheers!"

Kenyan in Australia shares jobs paying up to KSh78k daily, Kenyans react

In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported that a Kenyan man living and working in Australia shared a video detailing the earnings available in some manual jobs.

He claimed physically demanding work could pay between KSh10,000 and KSh11,000 per hour, meaning an eight-hour shift could bring in close to KSh78,000 a day.

He also highlighted caregiving jobs, which he said could pay about KSh5,000 to KSh6,000 per hour.

The video sparked mixed reactions, with some Kenyans excited by the reported earnings and others cautioning that high wages abroad can come with expensive living costs, demanding working conditions and the challenges of being away from family.

Source: Legit.ng

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.