The end of one thing is the beginning of another; a basic truth of our lives. The school life you have gone through is meant to prepare you for the adult life that awaits you beyond the school gate. That should not worry you at all; it is the next stage of life you must face with a lot of courage and action-based faith. Life is a journey; a journey that you need to travel wisely, step by step.
Life outside school has a lot of dimensions; opportunities and challenges, good and bad people. Choose wisely. Adult life is not about competition like in school. It is all about seeking to become the best version of yourself in all aspects of your life. For sure, it is not about competition like in sports or in school examinations. No, it is a path that you need to tread carefully as you pay heed to the advice of your parents, grandparents, guardians, matron or patrons.
If you become cunning and all-knowing-person life will turn against you and life will be really hard for you. Kindly, be a person who is advisable and learn from the experiences of those people who are ahead of you in life. As young people know that you come from totally different families that have varying levels of resources.
Understandably, you have been used to competitors either in class work or in extracurricular activities. However, life after school is otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that competition is bad in sports or in school activities. No, health competition in school life is a good thing for it is aimed at bringing the best out of you.
With that said and done, by the time you complete your secondary school you will have attained 18 years, ideally. So, you should obtain the following things in descending order:
(i.)National Identity Card (ID):
visit your home location chief’s office and she or he will give you the ID application form or direct you where to get one.
(ii.) Mobile Phone Number:
buy and register a communication number with one of your preferred companies; either Airtel, Safaricom, etc. Then, register with their mobile money transfer service; Airtel Money, M-PESA, etc. .Note, you will need your ID number to register for a communication mobile number. Buy one even if you don’t have a phone. As we agreed, life is a journey; one thing at a time not a competition.
(iii.) Mobile Phone:
acquire [buy or get one from your parents or guardian a well-functioning mobile phone that you will be using with the card/number that you bought and registered. If possible, get a smartphone for yourself.
(iv.)E-mail Address:
you can use your smartphone, your parents’, guardian’s friends’, or relative’s smartphone to open an email address. Also, you can go to a cyber cafe (carry with you some money for cyber services) and open your own e-mail address. You will need your ID number and mobile number to register it.
(v.)E-citizen Account:
using a smartphone or a computer, maybe at a cyber cafe or at home, open an e-citizen account where you will be accessing more than 500 government services online. You must have an ID number, mobile number and email address.
(vi.) A Good Conduct Certificate:
via your e-citizen account, register for a certificate of good conduct that the government in the department of CID. This will require you to have an ID number, mobile number, email address and KSH 1,050.
(vii.)Bank Account:
visit one of the many banks in the nearest town or city and open a bank account, it is free of charge for almost all banks. You will need a copy of your ID and of course the ID number itself and your mobile number. If you can, not a must, have at least Ksh 600 to register for an ATM card after opening a bank account. Different banks charge different amounts of money to register for an ATM card. Most probably it is either Ksh 500 or Ksh600.
(viii.) A Passport:
this is not very necessary at the moment but if you are financially capable I propose you apply/register for one. You may get an opportunity to go and study abroad either as a self sponsored student or you may win a scholarship; you never know, life is full of surprises-we walk by faith and not by sight.
Since passports have different categories they thus require you to have a different amount of money to apply.
N/B: Stay tuned for an upcoming article about the requirements and procedure of applying/registering for a passport.
Altogether, it is important to know that life outside school is very slippery and you should ground yourself in our Lord Jesus Christ so that He may shepherd you along the journey of life. Jesus remains the Good Shepherd whose voice is the true one in the midst of very many noisy and false voices in the world.
Allow Jesus Christ to light up your journey during the day and during the night; to hold your hands and to guide your feets-always remember that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
St. Pope John Paul II, Our Patron Saint, Pray for us so that We may be made Worthy of the Promises of Our Lord of Jesus Christ, in Time and in Eternity. Amen!
Article by:
Ben Njuîrî
11th of July, AD 2023
