In the video the Viral Video maker Lily Mutamz talks about how indirect discrimination exists in the UK when it comes to employment opportunities. Despite gaining experience through her practice placement during her degree studies at University of Winchester, she has been told several times that she does not have work experience.
The YouTuber says in the video that despite this barrier she still cleaned in order to invest in her farm business in Solwezi. The YouTuber further advises Africans to invest back home with what ever little money they make from menial jobs. The YouTuber managed to buy herself 100 Hectares of farm land in Solwezi where she spent 6 weeks last year clearing the land with the help of Solwezi Prisoners. Lily Mutamz who is a qualified social worker states that Solwezi is the place she feels is home and wishes to use her qualifications to work with vulnerable groups of people in Zambia. Lily Mutamz also plans to set up a clinic and a school for the villagers where her farm is located in Solwezi.
From the comments on the YouTuber’s video, many Africans across the world have been inspired by her story. When we asked Lily Mutamz why she was proud to share her story, she said ” The job I do does not define the gift and vision I carry, the end results is what matters and that’s hustle with a purpose”. The YouTuber has now even reached 11,000 plus Subscribers and is presently the highest Zambian Vlogger with international following.
I admire you. You have self confidence and sincere with yourself
As much as I admire what you are doing back home, it’s common in the UK for individuals iincluding of those with PhDs to do cleaning jobs irrespective of colour or nationality. It’s for this reason that the UK is developed because people here respect every worker regardless of the kind of jobs one does.
God bless Zambia.
The article doesnt say whether she had papers in the UK as no employer has time doing that and what degree she obtained if its social work she had then those are Mickey mouse degrees, a lot of McDonald’s workers have them white or black.
I am not wasting my time watching another ignorant Zambia girl ranting on Youtube
Lily chose to be a cleaner, she was not made to be a cleaner.
Home is where you live and raise your family. Why should I invest in Zambia when my family is in America. Every migrant story is different. Its not a blanket thing where we all fall under.
This message is for those at the bottom of the food chain (today).
It does not matter what you do for a living, as long as you have a game plan. Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability.
Yes some crusty Africans might look down on you, even laugh at you. But guess what, in life, often, those people that laugh at you are actually worse off, and they do not have a plan.
Those of us with concrete plans have no time to laugh at anyone. We are busy working to secure the lives of our children.
So I commend your actions Solwezi babe. Keep it up.
Very inspiring to the younger and even older generation. Keep it up, job well done.
In the UK even some secretaries have PhDs. What matters is the kasaka ka ndalama. Congratulations for starting a farm
Sometimes, the field of study matters in the diaspora. Programs such as social works, History Library studies and many other liberal degrees are better done in Zambia. Chances of breaking through and finding them rewarding are usually remote. It is important to understand dynamics in any marketplace. Else, we risk blaming racism.
Such an inspired soul.
Its good that Lily has come out in the open to share her story but let me say this to her and many of those guys living in diaspora that its really sad to underrate your country when in foreign soil. We have travel the world over, been there and believe you me Lily is honest most Africans living there are CLEANERS equivalent to being maids or garden boys back home but hear the things they about our country.
Remember that the more you discredit your own native home the more you are looked down upon. Thank you Lily for being honest and truthful because a lot of brothers and sisters out there are in denial yet they treated as (not as) 3rd class job seekers.
I believe we can all stop being negative about our country, start seeing opportunities and remember there is nothing like home!
Malinso, i salute you!
One zambia one love
I agree on not being negative, but the truth is not every one in the diaspora is a cleaner or doing menial jobs. The truth is we all start from flipping burgers in Mcdonalds just so that you can get you National Insurance No/Social security No, but after that many people better themselves.
Life in the UK is tough if you don’t have papers and you would be lucky to even get a cleaning job. I’m a social worker myself and know more than 30 Zambians in the profession and some are in management. I must say this woman was very unlucky as social work or nursing is one sure way of getting a job with a good salary. Sorry to here about your plight though.
Life is full of choices. She chose to work as a cleaner. God bless her, just a reminder in UK it is not the prime minister who earns millions of pounds for the job. There are civil servants like head masters of schools earning more than the PM. Tube train drivers earn more than doctors, plumbers in London are making more money and than phd holders. Haulage drivers delivering petrol earn more than solicitors. Life goes on. But in Zambia you believe the president should be the most intelligent person and should therefore earn more than everyone, stealing and corruption in political offices in the order of the day. Stealing in the morning, afternoon and night. I will remain as a namazai it is my choice.
The problem is some of these students think once you gain degree and have practice placement …you think you are entitled to a job straight away…job hunting is a skill on it own. If you cant hack it go back.
Comment:Mum Lily Mutambo ????????. Great woman she is.I am part of her testimony as I am her Zambian Scholarship recepient.Your proud Nurse????????.Let’s put up that Clinic u want ????????
Lily you always inspire me in whatever you re doing, you re hardworking lady, for u always help other people, God will surely continue blessing u always. I love your courage.
This is not unusual. There are lots of people in the Uk who work ‘menial jobs’ despite having degrees. There is no discrimination there.
What degree did she have anyway? How long was she in the UK? DOD she have a work permit or stay? Who were her friends…if she hang out with Zambians then that’s her downfall. You want to succeed abroad hangout with like minded people from other African countries except Nigerians.
Jay Jay, your remarks are so racist. Don’t think you own the world!
If you want comforting soft talk …this is not the place for you…I wont sooth you with words like BR JUNIOR about enterprise. I doubt you even know what racism is..sit down and shut!!
You are making a point and contradicting yourself.
The UK can be a tough place for any one without the right degree, it becomes worse if you have not sorted out your immigration status. A social work degree is a good degree for the UK so if she failed to get a job then she was looking in the wrong place.
The job of cleaning in the UK doesn’t bother anyone either with degrees or with none, here it is normal as everyone one is equally respected on the job they do.
It is only in our continent that jobs are discriminated against here you can do any job but what I don’t fully understand is why our continent has been deceived to think that some jobs are superior than others, just imagine if there were no cleaners to clean offices would anyone really sit in them if those toilets were not cleaned would one go to toilet nil, I would argue that every kind of a job done is equally important to every citizen , in developed nations work culture is different , when I was at university one professor was telling us how he did other jobs similar to cleaning and now he was a professor in…
Are wages/salaries in the UK paid according to employee’s standard of education?
Zambians’ fear or shame for physical work is terrible while the rest of the world respects it. But The greatest decision for Lily is that she did not stop in despair. We all have choices on what we use to get ourselves up the success ladder. Her comment is direct to what she has done. Her summary is a major lesson to all of us. ” The job I do does not define the gift and vision I carry, the end results is what matters and that’s hustle with a purpose”. These are wonderful words of wisdom. This is what we should be teaching in school.
Always in life it is not the starting what matters but the end result thereof. Go girl. Proud of you.
Always live below your income and will always have money to invest.
We often read negative comments on here from Zambians who laugh at those in the diaspora who work as cleaners or as carers in nursing home. You know what, over here every worker whether a cleaner , a doctor or queen as just as important and deserves the same respect. These same cleaners and bum cleaners are the same ones sending large sums of money to their poor relatives and friends in Zambia who have been denied a decent lifestyle by the corrupt government. Its common here for student doctors to work in nursing homes, cleaning bums etc for work experience. I have friends who are now hospital consultants and before they got their right to work here, they cleaned toilets and worked in nursing homes. No big deal as long as you’re paying bills and not stealing tax payers’ money!!
Over here, everyone regardless of race, does menial jobs when times are tough. Despite being an accountant, my white boss drove a truck for three months after losing his job. He used this example to teach us about good work ethics. The objective is to avoid being a burden on anyone including the government. The difference between Zambian’s and Nigerians (who seem to be more progressive in the diaspora) is that Zambians are not only lazy and foolishly proud, they love handouts
Over here, everyone regardless of race, does menial jobs when times are tough. Despite being an accountant, my white boss drove a truck for three months after losing his job. He used this example to teach us about good work ethics. The objective is to avoid being a burden on anyone including the government. The difference between Zambian’s and Nigerians (who seem to be more progressive in the diaspora) is that Zambians are not only lazy and foolishly proud, they love handouts.
THIS IS THE THING I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN REGARD TO THE ZAMBIANS WHO HIGHLY TALK ABOUT GOING TO UK! GO TO UK AND WORK BUT REMEMBER WE NEED YOUR SERVICES IN ZAMBIA. COME BACK WHEN YOU HAVE MADE ENOUGH MONEY BECAUSE HOME IS HOME.VERY ENCOURAGING INDEED