He has sent 147 job applications.

The young man said it with the exhaustion of somebody who had been rejected 147 times.

He had a degree. Then a master’s.

Good universities.

Good grades.

His mother had brought him to see Uncle Rwamiti because, according to her, “the boy has lost motivation.”

Uncle Rwamiti listened.

“How many interviews?”

“Six.”

“Offers?”

“None.”

“Hmm.”

Then Uncle Rwamiti pushed the young man’s laptop aside.

“Forget jobs for a moment. Name ten problems within five kilometres of this house that somebody might pay you to help solve.”

The young man stared at him.

“What kind of problems?”

“Any problems.”

Silence.

Uncle Rwamiti waited.

The mother tried to help.

“No, Maama. Today you are not his Google.”

She folded her arms.

After several uncomfortable minutes, the young man managed three.

Uncle Rwamiti leaned forward.

“My son, you know 147 organisations that might employ you, but you cannot name ten problems around you that might need you.”

The room became very quiet.

“University taught you to accumulate knowledge. That was valuable. But somewhere along the journey, somebody also needed to teach you how to look outward.”

“Outward?”

“Yes. At people. Businesses. Communities. Frustrations. Waste. Delays. Things that are expensive, inconvenient, confusing or simply badly done.”

The young man slowly closed the laptop.

Uncle Rwamiti smiled.

“Tomorrow, don’t send application number 148.”

“Then what do I do?”

“Walk five kilometres.”

“Looking for a job?”

“No.”

Uncle Rwamiti picked up his tea.

“Looking for a problem.”

That is one of the questions behind my latest book, The Knowledge Activation Paradox.

Education gives us knowledge.

But knowledge must still make a difficult journey:

from the head,
to a problem,
to value,
to action,
to trust,
to traction.

Somewhere along that journey, many educated people get stuck.

And sending application number 148 may not always be the answer.

THE KNOWLEDGE ACTIVATION PARADOX
The Silent Crisis of the Educated Adult Child
Available on Amazon

Uncle Rwamiti
Making sense of change through ethical storytelling.