Many of you seems to be curious about the Caregiver course in Kenya …I’m saying so because you have been bombarding with questions like:
- Is Caregiver course marketable?
- Can I be able to work outside Kenya with the course? (Will it give me a job as a caregiver in countries such as Germany, UK, USA, and others?)
- Are there jobs in Kenya for me if I do a care giving course in Kenya?
In short, we hardly go a day without our whatsapp number (+254 797 532 345) getting a question about taking a caregiving course in Kenya..
So I thought it is a good idea for me to write about the course..
My name is John Gitahi, and I’m the Chief Career Counsellor (and Principal) at Kenya Online College, a college that specializes in marketable courses only (unlike other institutions, we only offer courses that will either take you to a guaranteed job or lead you to entrepreneurship)
My goal is first and foremost to answer all your burning questions about it (some call it nursing assistant course).
My other objective in this writeup is to educate you , in general, about what it actually takes to land caregiving jobs in developed countries for a person from a third world countries like ours ..(it is not as easy as some of the colleges offering caregiver course in Kenya makes it sound).
So enjoy the read and get wise..
What is Caregiver course in Kenya?
Just as the course title suggests, a caregiving course is simply a course that gives you skills you need to become a caregiver to your clients (I know you’re wondering what I mean by your clients).
Well, your clients are the people you’ll be serving…and these are mainly aged people (most terminally ill) who need someone to help them take their medicine, go to washrooms, bath, go out to the hospital, and even go to bed.
To be clear, caregiving involves giving help (again the title clearly says so) to someone who is not able to do tasks by him/herself due to either:
- Sickness
- Old age
- A disability
Can you now see why some call caregivers nursing assistants (you’re nearly nursing this person) under a contract, which is paid at a fixed rate per hour (or in some instances monthly)
What does Caregiver Training in Kenya entail?
I know you can guess this:
When you go to schools offering caregiver course in Kenya, you’re majorly taught how to take care of the person you’re employed to take care of in different situations including during a medical emergency- so the curriculum includes first aid skills.
But it covers much more..you will learn how to communicate with these people (sometimes you need to be very patient because of their condition), how to make meals, how to bath such people, helping them walk…..overall, how to properly handle a person in need of aid.
Remember your role is to make life easier and more bearable for this person.
Therefore, the scope of your training will, in general, be oriented towards offering a helping hand throughout.
Is caregiver course in Kenya marketable?
I will not lie that I have seen very many opportunities for caregivers in Kenya….not at the moment.
And you probably know why….
We are not yet a developed country (plus we have our African traditions) so our wazees are mainly helped by the relatives while confined to the village when they get old.
And yes, it is the same case for those among us who have disabilities and other conditions that take away your independence.
That said, we have a few families hiring caregivers especially in Towns and Cities like Nairobi so some of the graduates get jobs here (though the pay is not much …not to mention that some of these families are content to hire live-in nannies instead of professionally trained caregivers)
In other word, your best bet if you’re training to be a caregiver is flying out and working as a caregiver in the diaspora.
Yeah, I’m a fervent reader of newspapers and online news outlets and every now and then I read about the shortage of caregivers in nations such as UK, Germany (there was even a story the other day on Kenyans.co.ke that the President is trying to push Germany to allow agencies there to employ caregivers from Kenya), and USA.
The question is: How easy is it for you to get a skilled labour Visa, which is the bare minimum for you to get work in these countries?
This is where it gets a little complicated: It is not very straightforward.
Take for example UK….to go work there, you must have the skilled labour Visa.
And how do you get it?
Now, you, for the most part, have to go through a caregiving employment agency in the UK such as Merit Healthcare.
Problem is, you need to cough up some cash (not a small amount) to be facilitated by these agencies (sometimes the so-called administration fees can be as high as Kshs.500000).
Not to forget that you need to cater for your own air ticket and other miscellaneous expenses.
Caregiver training in Nairobi – What else you must keep in mind
Also remember that some of the caregiver course taught in Kenya are not accepted by the authorities when you’re applying for the VISA (like in the US, they only consider caregivers who have undergone at least 6 months training as nurse assistants)
Question: Is it impossible?
Not at all…in fact, you only need to start the process by applying to these agencies online (be sure to apply for your Kenyan passport as soon as possible because you’ll need it).
Then get your finances ready – if you don’t have some savings, you may have to take a loan or may be sell one of your assets….you can also get a friend/family member to fund you.
Then pray to God and wait…you could be going out in 1 year (the whole process usually takes several months) or later.
In other words, if I were in a position, I would take the caregiver course in Kenya then try my luck with these foreign caregiver agencies.
How much can you earn?
It depends on the nation you go and the good thing is that the agencies will share with you details of your remuneration from the word go.
But on average, people make between Kshs.150000 (lower end) to Kshs.500000 as caregivers in these countries.
It’s worth mentioning that you’re sent to offer your services to private homes, homes of the elderly, hospices, and the like.
Of course, you can maneuver after you land there and target changing jobs to a job that is better paying.
Who is the course for?
The course is open to anyone with a KCSE certificate and with ability to write and speak English (US, Australia, & UK) and German (Germany) fluently.
Let me add that French is the preferred language for those targeting caregiving jobs in Canada.
Besides, I feel the course would be great for people who are naturally empathetic and patient.
Plus, you must not have fear of handling a sick/disabled person.
Caregiver course requirements in Kenya
Watch this if you want to know what are the caregiver course requirements in Kenya
Does Kenya Online College offer Caregiving course in Kenya?
Not yet ..but we might start it soon once we get accredited by one of the internationally reputable trainer of caregivers – we want to make sure that we are offering you a course that is going to make you licensable even in countries such as the USA without undergoing further training (which is what happens with holders of some of the local courses).
So keep checking with us – we will announce as soon as we start our online caregiver course in kenya
Does KMTC offer caregiver course?
No. They don’t…you can only do it in other colleges including KISMNET
More Reading About caregiver course in Nairobi
Below I will share a couple of articles with you for further reading, just in case you want more information about taking the care giving course in Nairobi.