#CapCut Truly, life after school in Africa is not for the faint-hearted. After all the years of burning midnight oil, struggling with assignments, exams, and paying heavy school fees, one expects the world to open up with opportunities. But the reality is different after graduation, you quickly realize that this is when real life actually begins. You are now on your own. The friends you had in school are scattered in different directions, everyone chasing survival. The support systems you once relied on fade away. Hustling becomes a daily bread, and without strong financial or family connections, the journey gets harder. Poor people feel abandoned in the race of life. You begin to understand deeply how hard your parents worked and sacrificed just to see you through school. Their struggles start to make sense only when you face the same fire. Depression becomes a silent enemy. Many young graduates wake up with their academic certificates in hand but no opportunity to use them. Families start looking at you differently during gatherings your greetings are mistaken for begging, your presence for failure. The respect you thought education would automatically bring does not show up. Some are forced into jobs that are far below their qualifications just to survive. For young women, the situation can be even worse sometimes jobs are tied to unspoken conditions, where dignity is traded for survival. And for men, without financial muscle or connections, you are left wondering: what will we do? When we were young, we believed education would guarantee a job. That is what we were told. But today, reality has taught us it was not the whole truth. Yet, despite the struggles, there is hope. Every generation faces its own mountains, and ours is no different. We may not all find jobs in the exact fields we studied for, but we can create paths for ourselves. The world is changing, and so should we. Instead of waiting endlessly for employment, we must embrace skills, entrepreneurship, and creativity. Even a small chance to make money, never think twice grab it, learn from it, and build from there. To my fellow youth, do not lose hope. Depression, shame, and rejection may knock on your doors, but remember that success often comes after deep struggles. Even if you start small, start with courage. Do not let society's opinion define your future. One day, your breakthrough will silence every doubt. I pray that everyone secures a job worth their education, and more importantly, a life worth living with dignity. Life after school is not easy, but with faith, resilience, and determination, we can rise above the pain and carve out our own destiny.