After Working Three Jobs in the US, Kenyan Woman Finds Peace Back Home

A Kenyan woman who returned home after several years in the United States says she has found stability and peace of mind, two years after leaving behind a demanding routine of working three jobs.

Lillian returned to Kenya in 2022 after deciding to leave the US following a series of personal losses. Within her first year abroad, both of her parents died, and she was unable to attend their funerals. She also longed to reunite with her son, who had grown from a schoolboy into a university student during her time away. Rather than returning immediately, she planned her move carefully.

Before leaving the US, Lillian completed construction of a home on her quarter-acre plot and arranged for her belongings to be shipped to Kenya. Her house runs entirely on solar power, allowing her to avoid rent and keep her household expenses low. She said owning a home made the transition much easier and advised others considering a return to prepare in advance.

Although she has faced challenges since returning, including poor roads, traffic congestion and occasional overcharging by traders, she regards these as familiar aspects of daily life. She now runs an events business that hires out tents and chairs and also earns income from pool tables. Six months ago, she entered a new relationship and described her partner as supportive despite having limited financial means.

Looking back on her time in the US, Lillian said her life revolved around work. She held three jobs and moved from one workplace to another in pursuit of her financial goals. While she misses earning in a stronger currency, she believes living in Kenya offers a better quality of life when a person has prepared financially.

Her experience differs from that of Maggy Mukuni Eckhoff, a Kenyan who has lived in Germany for 20 years but has not yet built a home or bought land in Kenya. Maggy has spoken about the financial demands and family expectations that many people in the diaspora face, despite assumptions that living abroad guarantees financial success.