What You Must Achieve Before The Next Lockdown

Phew! It is over. That is what my daughter said to me after the president's labour day speech. The restrictions are out of the way now that the Covid-19 indicators are pointing downwards.

Many may want to get on with their lives but not so fast because they are driving on empty. Very little has been achieved since the momentum stopping restrictions came into force.

We are faced with a very disturbing situation. The wisest people on account of age do not possess the experience needed to get us all out of the quagmire. No one is alive today from the Spanish flu pandemic times to tell us what to do. And even if they were alive now, they would find themselves facing a world without any past clues to follow because the world today is more virtual-oriented than physical-based.

It is the physical-natured activities that suffered the most. Those in the virtual world have thrived and continued to grow. So we must all take steps to take most of our operations online.

Since the loss of formal jobs will continue, we must focus on life after formal employment. No one is saying it now but even the biggest pension schemes will be shaken by the changing employment landscape. Ordinarily, up to sixteen young pension contributors are required to assure one retiree of his pension payouts. The normal pyramid shape with the young at the bottom supporting the fewer older people at the top is changing. There is room for innovative products but approvals may take too long and may catch up with some contributors. So start focussing on life without pension.

As you rush back into full action for your employer, spare some time every day to formulate or grow your side hustle. Increased proficiency in ICT is the new normal. If the Mpesa function on your phone and messaging are your only claims to having embraced technology, then you have a long way to go.

So very quickly, start with surfing the internet in search for new technologies that can be deployed here in Kenya. There is a groundbreaking technology freshly out of Israel that has just solved what was otherwise an inevitable war in the making. Water was going to be the cause of a long and protracted war worldwide but now, there is a machine that harnesses the air around us to make drinkable water. Be the first agent for this Israeli technology.

The future is to be found in new solutions.

Packing edible insects for human consumption or as a protein source in animal feeds is an easy thing to do. Pay some rural folks for this and you will have an abundant supply. Animal rearing farmers are looking for affordable alternatives.

If you are good at identifying edible mineral iron-rich soils, then you have quite a huge opportunity with the women market. They need natural iron sources every so often. Package this and you are rich.

Men are not left behind either. They are looking for health formulas. People are now focused on organic foods and specifically all-rounded stamina enhancing sources such as groundnuts and other reputable plant sources.

Corruption on our roads is rampant and if you can sell cameras that can be installed on the rear-view mirror and facing the windscreen, the policemen quickly spot it and avoid harassing the driver. This is quite a huge market if you can sell them to covid-19 ravaged pockets.

Beyond these, you have to pay me consultancy fees.

And before, if at all we get back to another lockdown, make sure to find a side hustle. And also make sure that it is lockdown proofed with fitting technological applications.