Perhaps one of the most overlooked privileges is not wealth itself, but having enough margin in your life to respond to reality. Over the last few years, we have become fluent in the language of privilege, speaking easily about financial privilege, pretty privilege, racial privilege, passport privilege, educational privilege and social privilege, and in doing so we have become increasingly aware that people do not all start from the same place and that some doors open more easily for some than for others. Yet there is one form of privilege that seems to receive far less attention, and that is the privilege of being able to do something with the information you have, not simply knowing, but acting, because the truth is that information alone changes very little. We like to imagine that if people only knew better, they would do better, and entire industries are built around this assumption, from self-help books and documentaries to podcasts, awareness campaigns, public health initiative...
Every day, Kenyans accept painfully low wages for their skills, experience, and time. Whether it's a translator taking KES 30,000 when the market rate is KES 60,000, a waiter working six days a week for KES 12,000, or a factory worker grinding for KES 100 per Saturday shift—these scenarios are far too common. The consequences of this widespread problem are serious: it depresses wages for everyone, normalizes exploitation, and keeps the majority of Kenyans in a cycle of financial struggle. But why do people accept these conditions? The reasons are complex and deeply ingrained in our society. Some of the biggest factors include: Desperation and Survival Mode – Bills have to be paid, children need food, and in a country with a high unemployment rate, any income feels better than no income. Lack of Salary Transparency – Employers take advantage of the fact that salaries are gatekept, meaning most people don’t even know their market worth. Low Self-Worth and Fear of Speaking Up – Man...