Jobseeker’s diary

On Wednesday, all 33 Chilean miners were rescued after over two months trapped in their collapsed mine. I have followed this story very closely, not that I’m related to or know any of the miners but stories like these just fascinate me and you have to agree that this has been one of those stories that captivated millions around the around. And at the end, as each man was lifted back to earth, those of us watching the unfolding events celebrated, clapped and even cried, not forgetting to thank God who allowed all this to happen. It reminds me of another miraculous rescue, US Airways Flight 1549 that crash-landed in the Hudson River in January 2009 and all 150 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots on board survived. Like many people said then and now in the Chilean case, miracles still happen. The Chilean government did well to save all those men and according to some reports, it is estimated that the whole rescue effort cost between $10 and $20 million. Now much as I would like to have faith in Africa , I doubt the typical African country would have pulled off a similar rescue. Let’s be honest, we are not equipped for such disasters. But even if we were, I’m pretty sure many involved in the rescue attempt would deem the task too expensive or if the money was availed, a couple of people would inflate the budget or pocket the money and not save the men in the end. I must add that I wouldn’t be surprised if some people wrote off the case because “they were just miners.” Sebastian Pinera, the Chilean President, has been a part of the rescue efforts, just like the Mining Minister and so many other people engineering the rescue. I was especially touched when I learnt that the president kept the note the miners had sent up when they first made contact with one of the rescue probes that read, “All 33 of us are alive, in the shelter…” He made it his mission to save all those men and he was there to hug and welcome them back from their ordeal. This incident also got me thinking about the kind of jobs we take. Many times, we don’t have many options, given the high unemployment rate in many African countries. At any given time, there are so many people lining for a single job. You make even one slip and you miss the chance. So for most of us, when you find an opening, you take it so you can pay the bills and “survive”. It’s for that reason that people who have never trained to be soldiers ended up in Iraq , Sudan , Somalia etc. Many were unemployed at the time while others were taken by promises of better pay. So when recruitment companies called for people to apply, they turned out in droves. I don’t blame them – we tend to become desperate when we are jobless. You start praying and hoping for anything. That aside, the prospect of being paid in dollars for instance can be tempting, especially since not many of us have held even a single dollar bill. So you end up in Iraq or some other unstable country where you are not even sure you’ll live long enough to “eat” your dollar salary or the next one after that. I have since decided that there are certain jobs I’ll pass. Yes I want to be gainfully employed and make lots of money but at the end of the day, no job is worth my life. Of course every job has its pros and cons but some jobs have more occupational hazards than others. A number of doctors have contracted deadly diseases from patients they were trying to save – think of Ebola, Marbug and HIV. Miners suffer breathing and lung complications and volunteers are kidnapped, abused and murdered while on missions abroad. This is not to say we don’t appreciate these selfless people’s sacrifices but I strongly believe that we should carefully think about certain jobs before we take them up. The decision to take or pass a job lies entirely with you and if you decide to enrol for a risky job, at least have the courage to demand that your employers make the work environment safe. It’s your right. To be continued…