Hard work and determination irrespective of the nature of work is all one needs to embrace to make it in life.
This is according to a construction labourer Antony Njuguna, 35, based in Nakuru East who says he earns more than Sh 60,000 per month from simple construction works and is able to send his five children to school and meet other responsibilities in life.
This writer caught up with Njuguna at a construction site at White House estate in Nakuru and he revealed that he makes an approximate Sh 2,000 per day which can be higher depending on the nature and frequency of construction work in a month.
Njuguna who hails from Olkalou in Nyandarua County says he first came to Nakuru in 2004 after a short stint in Nyahururu town and has worked on construction sites ever since. He says being in good terms and constant connection with stakeholders in the sub sector has ensured that he does not miss employment.
“The first strategy is being in connection with others and possible employers. I cannot do without a phone and I always contact my former colleagues and employers. I have never missed opportunities,'' says Njuguna who specialises in masonry and roofing works at construction sites.
He adds that from the money he earns, he saves Sh500 every week in a welfare group which he gets loans from to pay fees for his two secondary going children. He adds that his two other children are in primary school while his last born is in nursery school.
Njuguna adds that he has managed to start a fruits and vegetables shop which his wife runs to supplement on the family's earnings.
"She has a business account with a local micro-finance bank where she saves and gets small loans to develop her own income generating projects,'' he says.
He vividly remembers how his late father Francis Njuguna introduced him to masonry and other construction works at an early age after he dropped out of school. This was in a bid to help him raise money to feed and educate his siblings.
The construction labourer says he is hoping to invest in hardware business where he will be selling and supplying construction materials to construction companies or individuals as he has a good network and contacts.
On the other hand Njuguna observes that Nakuru is a fast growing region hence construction work is a blooming opportunity.