Thanksgiving Break Interview With My Mom and with an Economics twist!

00:02 Hi, my name is Prudence Wachira I am interviewing my mother in our humble abode of our house located in Birmingham, Alabama. And today is November 26, 2023. Okay, so do you have any financial advice for any future adults?

00:29 Yes, I do. And my advice, especially for younger, younger kids is to save, save, start early to safe. Because as you grow up, get on into life and get responsibilities, sometimes it might be a little hard to save. So stay safe. Save, save. When you're young.

00:59 Did you like learning about macroeconomics when you're in school and why.

01:04 Yes, I did like to learn about macroeconomics. It's, it was interesting to me just to kind of like want to know what, how the economy works because everybody is involved in economics. You buy and sell. Every person is involved in economics. So it's, it was interesting just to see how it works and I enjoyed to see how that worked.

01:39 Are there any differences in the economy in the US compared to Kenya?

01:46 Yes, there are. They. Our economy in Kenya is not credit based vis a vis the one here in the US So that's a very big difference that we have. We, we don't have any credit based kind of economy. We all just do.

02:10 Like debit and stuff.

02:12 Yes, yes.

02:14 So do you, do you know why it's not credit based or is it.

02:20 Like a reason I economy has just been like that. I grew up being in such an economy like that. Yeah, yeah, it's. I don't know whether there's a reason or not. It's just like that.

02:34 Okay. Are there any differences in the economy in Kenya when you were younger compared to the economy in Kenya now that you know of?

02:46 Yes, I. Economy has grown compared to when I was, when I was younger and there's a lot of. I can, I can, I can associate it with the automation of a lot of companies and businesses or processes that help, you know, grow the economy. And we, there was not so many computerized processes then, but now it, a lot of, a lot of companies are computerized. Government is compute. They have computerized a lot of their operations. And so it has helped the economy grow very fast and quite a big deal.

03:41 So like when you say like they were not computerized when you were younger. So like how was it like to pay like bills? I mean like you're young so you can't pay bills.

03:50 Yes, it was like we would go to places and you know, like you had to go to the office some of if you have to pay the bills, you go to the place. If you have an Electricity bill. You go to the, where the power company is and line up there. But actually now you can even pay over like on your phone. There's a lot of online transactions. People can personally do pay bills and do a lot of that stuff.

04:22 This is like a random question but like, because it wasn't like computerized when you're younger. Like for example, like if someone was trying to like pay for like their house but you know, because of the long line, like it takes a while for that to happen. Would they be penalized for not paying their house on time or would you like just have to like figure that out?

04:49 Well, you really had to do what you had to do. You just go there and line up those long queues and yes. Somehow pay your bill.

05:01 Okay, so it's kind of like you just had to plan ahead. Yes. Okay.

05:05 Yes.

05:08 What was your first job?

05:11 I was a cashier. That was my first job in a savings cooperative society for teachers. Yeah. So that's how I ended up there.

05:30 Like what would you do for them?

05:34 I would, we would receive, you know, it was a savings cooperative society for teachers. So they would go bank their money and then they bring their sleeps and then we just enter the books and they, they would borrow loans from the cooperative society and then we'll just write checks and, and just put the, everything in the books. You know, just accounting part of it.

06:05 So like, why is there one for like teachers specifically?

06:08 There are several. There are several. But that was just one of. Yes, one of many.

06:14 Okay, got it.

06:15 Yes.

06:15 Did you like it?

06:16 Yes, I did.

06:18 Why?

06:21 It was just, you know, just getting to help out in preparing statements, helping the people coming to you, how to facilitate the, the, the things that they want to do. You know, it's just like something just to help out. Oh, it's so sweet. Right?

06:50 So like how did you end up in that job? Like was there something that you had to do for it or like.

06:58 Oh yeah, I did a test. There's a, the, the, the, the, the, the. An exam that was, they were, they were kind of bringing it to an end and start a new system of doing it.

07:16 Right.

07:17 So I did that exam. It was supposed to be one year exam. I did it in five months and I passed.

07:24 That's crazy. Wait, so like how did you do it? Like how did you do it faster?

07:31 You know, I was a full time student and all I did was study. Yes, yes, I was able to do.

07:40 I bet it was a hard class.

07:42 Yeah, kind of.

07:46 Like. Okay, so like was the. Why did it change like the whole system behind it.

07:54 They wanted to change it and just try a new some add a few. Few more things, which they've been able to keep it till now.

08:06 Okay.

08:06 Yes, it's still going on.

08:08 So it's better than, like, how. Because, you know, you. You guys talk about like the schooling system and how that completely changed.

08:14 Yes.

08:15 Like, can you talk more about that? Like, like compare it, comparing it before? Because you guys were like the pioneers of the new schooling system. So, like, how was that?

08:27 They added just a few little bits and of course they implemented other parts of it that were not in the original. But it's almost just the same thing.

08:43 Really.

08:44 Yeah.

08:45 Did they take out the new schooling system when you guys finished it? Because they figured out, like, it wasn't working because didn't scoring and like, everyone was.

08:55 Oh, you mean high school. Yeah. Yes, yes, yes. They started a new system of, you know, in high school and we had. They had. They had one that would say you go to an elementary school. No, you go. You go. You go. Before you go to high school, you have seven years. When you go to high school, you go four years. And then another one, the A level, they called it. The A level was two years, but they changed it to eight years, four years high school and four years in the university.

09:34 So kind of like now in the U.S. yes.

09:38 So it's. It's actually the way now, but it has now been changed again. Oh, yeah.

09:44 Wait, so like, how is it So I don't.

09:46 I can't. I don't want to say too much about it. I might not be very relevant with it right now. Yeah, but they've changed it a little bit. They changed it.

09:56 Did they take out that big test? Because you had to like, like, from first grade to like, 12th grade, you had to, like, remember everything you learned and have a huge, like, test on it. Did they ever, like, take that out? Because, like, that's kind of hard. Yes, because I know very few people pass from what you guys told.

10:17 Okay. From. From how we did in high school, like, if we do. If we did a test, we did comprehensive tests from 9th, 9th grade to 12th grade. You were tested. One big test. We didn't have all. You can accumulate, like, grades as you go. You just do one big test. Yeah.

10:44 Do you have a favorite childhood memory?

10:48 Yes. When you first were taken to the lake, it was so fun.

10:53 What you guys do at the lake.

10:55 We went with the soflamingos.

10:59 Did you get to, like, pet them?

11:01 No. Yeah.

11:02 Were you not allowed to?

11:03 Yeah.

11:04 Yeah.

11:04 Yeah, it was great. Oh, that's cute.

11:07 Were they like what people like, say flamingos look like, like pink and everything?

11:11 Yes.

11:13 Do you remember any advice that Chosho used to tell you when you were younger?

11:19 Yes. She. She always told us to work hard for our dreams.

11:27 Yeah.

11:27 Because even if your parent loves you so much, this. That part of cannot do for you. They provide to you what they can, but you work hard for yourself, give your life the best shot because you only live it once, period. That's cute. Yes.

11:53 So, like, what was your. What's that word? Like, your inspiration for choosing my name?

12:03 I was inspired. We was inspired. We desired for you to walk in wisdom and insight. That's the greatest thing that I desired for you, wisdom and insight.

12:25 How has being a parent changed you in any way?

12:31 He has changed me because, you know, like when you're growing up, you mostly kind of. It changes when you get like a child because you thinking about your child all the time. You know, this child really counts on you and depends on you. So a lot of your time that's what you're thinking about vis a vis. Like when we have. If you have siblings or other people around your life, you have that weight. But it's not as much as like you have a child. It's a big deal when you have a child knowing this child just looking up to you.

13:17 Yeah.

13:18 Yes.

13:21 What were your parents like when you were younger?

13:25 My parents were very strict.

13:29 Like, so, like with their strictness, like, when you're younger, did you view the way that the. Like, the way they were strict differently compared to, like how you view it maybe now?

13:44 Yeah. Because, you know, when you're young, you think you just be told no, you know, but when you grow up, you just say, oh, okay, I see now why. So your parents have lived a life they have gone through where you have gone through.

14:01 Yeah.

14:02 So they understand more when they are speaking to you, whenever they are telling you or do this or that, but you don't understand it. But when you grow up. When I grew up, I'm like, oh, okay. My parents, I'm glad they told me.

14:19 Yeah.

14:19 You know, because they know better. They have been through the steps that I've been, so they know they walk.

14:26 In those steps, have a lot of the things that they talked about, like, kind of like. Like you've seen it yourself.

14:33 Yes, a lot. And all of that. I've seen myself. Yes.

14:39 Are you still friends with anyone? Are you still friends with anyone from that time of your life? With, like, when you're younger.

14:46 Yes.

14:47 Like, who?

14:48 We. I have a friend. Of course. They. She got married, and they have kids. Children have graduated.

14:57 Oh.

14:57 Yeah.

14:58 So is it someone I know?

15:00 You might not have met her. Okay.

15:03 Yeah.

15:03 Because when we went. It was a short time, but we talked about the phone. Yeah. So, yes. I have a friend, and she was our neighbor, too.

15:13 Oh, cute.

15:13 Yes. We grew up together.

15:15 Oh, that's sweet. Do they live here?

15:17 No, no. Still in Kenya. Yeah.

15:21 What was your favorite childhood food?

15:23 My favorite childhood food was chapari.

15:25 Chapo. Like, who made it the best?

15:30 See, it's my mom.

15:33 Did you ever, like, cook with her?

15:34 Yes.

15:36 What? Like, did you guys, like. Because you had a pretty big family. Did he, like, fight for the chapel like we do now? Like.

15:44 Yes. Yes. If he's almost getting finished, you're like, it's mine. I want some.

15:57 No, that's. Do you miss the way she made. Like, the way she makes chapels?

16:03 She made some chapels.

16:05 Maybe we should go there and just.

16:06 Be like, make some chapos.

16:09 Do you still, like. Do you remember how she makes them? Like, the way that you make it now? Is it the way that you were taught by her?

16:16 She taught. Yeah. Yeah, that's the way she taught.

16:19 Do you make it with Brown Chapel? Yes. Okay, well, thank you very much. I very much so appreciate this time, and goodbye.