In a testament to the harsh realities some individuals face, a man with a PhD and four master's degrees has found himself hawking vegetables as a means of survival.
The stark contrast between his academic achievements and current livelihood highlights the challenges many highly educated individuals encounter amid a scarcity of jobs.
Sandeep Singh was a faculty member at a Punjabi University for more than ten years but decided to resign due to financial constraints.
"I taught at Punjabi University - five years on a junior research fellowship and seven years as a guest faculty. In June last year, I quit teaching as it became difficult for me and my family to survive on that salary. I won't beg before anyone. I will keep doing my work," Singh said.
Singh noted that the university offered an inadequately low salary, which was also consistently delayed.
After resigning, he resorted to running a vegetable chart enabling him to survive.
"It had become difficult for me to make ends meet with that job. That's why I switched to selling vegetables for my survival and my family," he said.
He buys vegetables in the morning and sells them daily using his bicycle. In the evening, when free, he teaches his children and studies.
Singh is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in library and information sciences at Lovely Professional University.
The 39-year-old said he does not regret becoming a lecturer as it was his dream when he was young.
In related news, Samuel Meme from Igembe in Meru county has been looking for a job for nine years without success.
Meme was first admitted to Chuka University after high school and graduated with a bachelor of commerce degree.
After failing to get a job he quickly started CPA and then took a bachelor of education course at Mount Kenya University.