The Invisible Class:Mass Homelessness in the USA

The Invisible Class explores what it truly means to be homeless in America, challenging stereotypes and examining the systemic causes of mass homelessness in the wealthiest nation in the world. From coast to coast the film is a day in the life of homelessness across America.

https://vimeo.com/groups/703108/videos/372493956

USA is overrated

The interesting thing is that kids from wealthy families who go there to study always return home. Even white folk want to live here. Kenya is a small heaven if you are able to afford a decent standard of life.

Some people could be wasting their lives in America! If you have something good in Jamhuri, stay put! Dont
fall for the hype!

America is not for everyone. Some can make it there, a few can’t cut it.

I have been there a while ago and my Kenyan friends hosted a party for me… there was a mzee from Ghana who attended the bash and he told me that he had been there from 1978 and had no family… and did not appear successful… what a pity! But we have selfish, greedy, stupid, short-sighted rulers here who think leading is only for themselves and themselves only… so they mismanage everything and almost all projects are designed to siphon cash from the coffers

That would be like saying OP @TrumanCapote is a pity. She’s not married. She has a car, and a house. The Ghanaian guy is just like her. Maybe he is content with being single. In my experience, you will hardly ever find successful Africans in bashes. They usually get together in their homes, one or two friends of their like. So if your friends are successful IT pros, chances are their guests will not be otherwise. The views of America of a person just passing by( a tourist), are different from the views of one who has lived there for 3 months, which are completely different from one who has lived there for 3 years. You see and understand very little as a tourist.

I cannot say that I understand everything… but I just share what they told me… I prefer listening than talking about things I do not know… and therefore want to know more… I will share some of the things they told me… but honestly, if I could not live in USA when I was a bachelor and earning less than 3,000 US Dollars a month, now I cannot when am married and making much more… in Kenya… and much older now

Go ahead and share what they told you. When it comes to finances, where you live plays a big part. What state and what part. There was a time I was making 1600 a month and I was fine. My bills were paid and I had little debt. For example if you live outside in the country, life is very cheap. With Covid crisis providing remote working opportunities, many will take advantage and reap big.

I just googled the little town I lived, house prices have gone up 3 times. They are 30% higher than precovid prices.

We have talked about this on other threads. The secret to the US is to get into a hot career. Healthcare is number 1. Then IT. Then you have opportunities and pay galore. Otherwise if you want to spend time with family, become a school teacher. They get 3 months off a year. But at least get a career even a technical one like electrician or plumber. You will make a very good living.

I was in Texas, Houston… One of the Kenyans I met told me that they had dropped their career and were pursuing nursing certifications… and working 18 hours a day and driving in between locations 40KMs apart… then the issue of maintaining a car… that one had to learn how to do maintenance services because hiring a mechanic is COSTLY… unlike Jamhuri (actually they used to call Kenya Jamhuri)…

It’s true. And Houston is a very good city. A nursing cert gives you amazing opportunities. You can work 8hours a day (8-5) at a doctors office. You can work 12 hours a day for 3 days a week in a hospital. Or you can work 16 hours a day( Saturday and Sunday) for only 2 days a week in a hospital ( have Monday to Friday off ). All these for $60k a year. Which is above your 3k a month. 40 km drive is nothing in the US. That’s 25 miles one way is very average. US cities are expansive. But the highways are great. That 40km will take you 20 minutes.

Houston is very cheap to live. It’s a huge city. Get a decent car less than 10 years old and you will be fine if you maintain it as required. The trick is to buy it when it’s less than 3 years old. All you will need to do is simple oil and filter changes. A simple Honda Sedan is $10-12k. That’s 2 months of your wage. Even a decent SUV will run you $20k.

I always wonder what people mean when they say that you don’t have a family. You have parents, siblings, relatives and friends you’d consider family. If you are a parent figure to an orphan they consider you like a mother. Having children isn’t a guarantee of anything. I have a neighbor who has dementia and all her children are abroad. Other children are irresponsible, they do not help their parents much. Children are not a retirement plan. So get married and have kids for the right reasons, because you met someone who you want to share your life and genes with. Not out of fear. So many people especially women are so miserable in their marriages but they are afraid to ‘not have a family’. There’s no greater loneliness than being in a relationship that is unfulfilling with someone you don’t love and respect just to keep up appearances and look like you have someone. It’s soul crashing and it destroys your self esteem and self respect. Most people put the cart before the horse. I want a family so lemme find someone to fit the role. Instead of I met someone I love and respect so much and vice versa that I want to have a family with them and spend the rest of my life with them. Maybe I may have been happier with a family but I just never met anyone that I really wanted to take that leap with and that is fine too. I am not going to force it to happen bcz I need a family. I have a family. I have people who love me and would do anything for me that’s why I am not as desperate as most women when it comes to this having a family issue. I am satisfied. A hungry or starving will eat anything. I am picky because I am content, if I wasn’t I would never decline any advances and proposals. I have been in situations where I decline a marriage proposal and the man is shocked that someone my age can say no. Already that one alone tells you that I am not desperately unhappy and lonely the way people like to paint single people like they’re all alone in the world, you can be very married and be all alone in the world than even a single person, how many suicides have you heard of ati I killed myself because I was single and felt so lonely, it’s usually married folk afraid of being alone who kill each other when they break up or kill their kids, this thing of fear of not living upto society’s expectations of having a family is why people kill themselves and each other when they break up meaning they would rather be miserable than to be by themselves. I know both sides of the coin and nothing is worth being in an unfulfilling relationship for, not children, not marriage, not money. The biggest secret to happiness in life is always be true to yourself. I haven’t always had that clarity but thank God that in my time of ignorance I didn’t fall into a ditch and get married or have kids with someone that wouldn’t have been good for me in the long haul. I consider myself very blessed. Than many people with the said families. I am in good health. I don’t have ulcers bcz I am forcing myself to stay in an unfulfilling relationshit just so I can have a semblance of family. Family is supposed to love you, bring joy in your life and take care of you and be there for you, a pillar in your life, not give you ulcers and stress . Just do a survey of married women, many have ulcers that they never had before the relationship or marriage. To some people it’s a price that they are willing to pay, to me nothing is worth my health and peace of mind. Not so called family. Not kids.

As for success, I consider success joy, good health and not lacking. Some jobs take all your time, you can’t spend time with yourself and the people that you love, just for people to see that you are ‘successful’.

We have seen people we thought were successful and had it all commit suicide. Being true to yourself matters most. Alot of people you’d consider successful in societal standards are alcoholic and extremely unhappy. It’s not a one size fits all, it’s you to define what success means to you. You don’t have to follow anyone’s script.

We are slowly coming to an age where old people are taken care of in nursing homes. It’s already happening in Asia. Healthcare is too expensive and taxing on dependents. 10 years from now, nobody will be taking care of their 80 year old parents. You simply ship them
to a home and let the professionals do their job.

I was looking at a place called The Village in Florida. Its a retirement village with over 130k people. It looked amazing. They just have fun with other old people. I think the documentary is called A place called Heaven by the new York times. Even the people who work there are all retirees. They play golf, do water aerobics, dance, go do theatre, it’s like a Disneyland for old people. I wish they had one here in a place with hot weather like Mombasa. I don’t see myself living anywhere cold after I retire.

That 3K a month is what I used to earn many years ago not now… even then, the 5K a month in US cannot be equated to 5K a month in Nairobi, can it? I earn much much more than that and with kids I doubt that it would be in their interest to move to the US… It does not mean that things are looking up in Jamhuri, far from it! Things have been deteriorating steadily since Kamwana took over… now we are at the brink… but even then, I have not considered moving out of here… I believe that it is wise to move to the US in the mid 20s and take some courses there… In fact, there is another neighbour of mine then who was a KU prof who moved to the US after winning the Greencard… He sold his house and moved with his family there… he did not stay for more than an year before he returned regretting his mistake of migrating to the USA because, apparently he could not get a professional job but had to work in petrol stations there… WTF!