SOS - YOUR GOOD ADVICE TO BE VALUED FOR LIFE

[Asani]

Hello everybody
They say life begins at 40; mine is only 36 months away. What I cannot deal with is that I am bringing completey nothing with me into life. I need a carrer which could give a good enough job so that I may provide for my family which is, culturally an extended one.
I have been employed for the past ten years and during that time never got the chance to further my educational qualifications beyond the secondary school level in order to move into a better job with better pay to afford me and my family a decent life.

Right now I feel this greater need because generally things have taken a tumble both politically and economically in our country, Zimbabwe. The currency has been devalued by about 25% effectively reducing my personal gross earnings to US$268.00 a month.

Instead of giving salary increments, companies here talk of retrenchments and shutting down. All the while there are claims that since the country's economy is in bad shape due to lack of foreign currency business is low. However, even though things are bad, they are not beyond levels where people like myself could make a reasonable living out of the jobs we do. The truth is that at times like this one, greedy employers will understate their profits to paint the worst picture of events and thus get an excuse for not awarding employees like myself decent salaries.

Why I see myself drowning is that I happen to have a history of struggles and trials with life. During my formative school yaers I used to do exceedingly well but when it came to examinations time, I came out with mediocre grades. Initially I wanted to do Medicine but in my G.C.E. 'O' level examination I came out with an A grade in English Language and 4 C grades in the other 4 subjects which I passed. This dashed my hopes of going further to studies which could get me into Medical School. I went on to enrol for a teaching course in 1982 in which I passed all the theory papers only to fail on teaching practicals. This is when I crossed over to business related general work.

Now Iam faced with quite a tricky situation whereby younger people in lower-profile jobs than mine and with less experience than I have in the same company get more respect and more pay than I do.

My father is tailor by trade and he is a migrant worker fro Malawi. At 71 he is past retirement but he has to continue working to support the big family of 9.

I know that my story is too typically African but with the universal mind of the boards you can all help me brainstorm to a solution to the huge problem that I face.

I do not own a house or a car. I rent the quarters I live in and do commute daily on public transport the cost of which cannot adequately be catered for by what I am receiving as a salary from my job.

Please, please everybody help me find a solution to the huge problem I face. It is only 36 months to go before I turn 40. I know it isn't too late to embark on a course of study but the money I get cannot stretch beyond the basics to enable me to pay for a course of study which would upgrade my qualifications and thus allow me to find a better-paying job.

If anyone can come up with any ideas or any for of advice, please fell very free to email me at asani2001@yahoo.com I will price all advice greatly throughout my life.

I look foraward to some invaluable bits of wisdom which I intend to put to good use with the greatest of care.

Thanks

A. Asani