When the people who train business moguls, judges, engineers, presidents, and CEOs end up in poverty, we know something is severely wrong. How is it possible for someone who has committed their life to changing the nation’s mindset to struggle to feed their family, pay their rent, or send their own children to school? This is not merely a depressing story but a scandal. And for far too long, we as a country have accepted it as normal.
Universities annually produce graduates who go on to hold important positions in the public sector, business, and government. However, the instructors and employees who mentored them continue to face similar financial difficulties year after year. Some even pass away before receiving their pension. Others rely on assistance from former students. Isn’t this ironic?
The Tragedy of the Enlightened Poor
Nothing is more tragic than the enlightened poor.. How can the bearer of knowledge perish in the shadows?
How is it possible to deny dignity to someone who opens minds? Laziness is not the cause of this poverty. It is poverty by design, a well-functioning system that penalizes bravery and encourages silence. University employees and lecturers are ensnared in a system that makes them feel secure enough to remain but compelled to comply.
The “martyr complex” is a peculiar sense of pride that many university workers seem to have when they endure injustice. Our thoughts are, “At least I’m helping humanity.” However, let’s face it: service devoid of justice is hardly a virtue. It is a slow death in a respectable outfit.
The Culture of Endurance
Our universities have a perilous culture that values perseverance. We admire those who “persist” in the face of abuse. Suffering is often misunderstood for professionalism. More than late payments, we are frightened of management letters. When our pay stubs already scream injustice, we are concerned about appearing “too militant.” However, what would civility be without justice? Without bravery, what’s intelligence? You die on the inside when you preach freedom but live in fear. And gradually, the classroom turns into a stage, where weary brains quietly die inside while performing with zeal.
The Poverty of Esteem
Poverty not only drains your finances but also your pride. There are other factors at play when a university secretary goes months without payment or a part-time lecturer hides from their landlord. It is simply emotional violence. When someone is consistently underpaid, they start to question their value. They doubt their role. Their ambition wanes. And the system triumphs when ambition dies, because now you have a worker who just survives, not dreams. And it is through the silent despair of their intellectuals, not through war, that nations fall apart.
The System of Silence
The truth is that the system benefits greatly from silence. Compliance is rewarded. Asking questions is penalised. In place of compensation, titles are granted. Appointments take the place of gratitude. We refer to persons as “Doctor,” “Professor,” or “Dean,” but some of them walk home because they are unable to buy cars. On graduation day, we adore them in their gowns, but the following morning, we forget about them.
And because of how well we, the educated class, have internalised this suffering, we no longer even discuss it. “At least I have a job,” we keep saying. But, at what cost? A job that destroys your dignity is not employment. It’s like being imprisoned while earning a paycheck.
A Moral Reckoning
Scripture clearly states, “The laborer is worthy of his hire.”It does not state, “The labourer shoul d be patient until the economy improves,” or “The labourer should wait for supplementary budget approval.” It says, simply and firmly, worthy of his hire.
When management makes excuses, when councils disregard CBAs, or when the government postpones salary increases, it is not good governance but a moral failure. A country that treats its educators badly is simply digging its own grave, for no nation can rise above the state of its educators.
Beyond Salaries — Restoring Dignity
Money is not the only topic of discussion here. It has to do with honor. Employees at universities are requesting justice, not luxury, acknowledgment, and fairness. They are the architects of all professions, the cornerstones of all careers. If they fall, the entire country will tremble. They are not acting rebelliously when they strike. They are recollecting their identity. “We refuse to teach about freedom while living in chains,” they are saying.
A Call to Rise
A reckoning is needed, not only in academic institutions but also in the public consciousness. We ought to quit romanticizing the pain of the learned. When things continue to deteriorate, we must reject the myth that “things will get better.” For all of the lecturers, cleaners, librarians, and administrators who work to keep the university functioning, poverty is not your fate. This is a statement that needs to be corrected.
It’s time to speak up, to band together, to demand what is yours. Not as stragglers looking for sympathy, but as nation-builders taking back their honor.
Because a nation’s future is already doomed when its thought process is poor.
So rise, not in rage, but in truth.
Rise — to demand dignity, not to destroy.
Rise — since knowledge shouldn’t be left in poverty.
Rise — for the country can never be free if the mind is enslaved.
How can we end the poverty of the minds that create our country? I’d love to know what you think. Let’s discuss in the comments section.
The author is a strategy and governance consultant, leadership trainer, and university lecturer. She writes about leadership, workplace fairness, and the ethical dimensions of management.
Email address: info@marymugo.com.
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Hitting the nail be head. We shouldn’t just intone that at least we have a job; this slave mentality must end!
Absolutely 💯 correct. We must rise and reclaim our dignity.