A Kenyan man who once taught in a Kenyan high school has shared a powerful decade-apart comparison, revealing how his decision to relocate to the US transformed his career and financial life beyond what he had imagined.
Haroun Mukalasinga posted a side-by-side image online, the first showing himself in 2016 as a Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teacher working for the Kenyan government.
From TSC Classroom to US Army Uniform
The second photo was of him in 2026, dressed in a casual outfit but now working as a US Army soldier for the American government.
The contrast between the two photos did not go unnoticed. Haroun used the moment to reflect honestly on what his life might have looked like had he remained in Kenya.
“Had I stayed put in Kenya, I’d probably be stuck, a decade later, with TSC still doing the same thing, earning the same peanuts,” he wrote. “What I made in a month couldn’t afford the sneaker I’m wearing now.”
His journey in the US was not built on a single opportunity. Before enlisting in the military, Haroun worked his way through a wide range of industries and employers, including a state university, Walgreens, Amazon, Uber, FedEx, Verizon, DoorDash and UnitedHealth.
Unfunctional Systems Dim Your Light
Beyond the career milestones, Haroun spoke to something many Kenyans who have moved abroad quietly wrestle with: the feeling that the environment back home actively limited their potential.
“Being in a country with unfunctional systems like Kenya can dim your light, suppress your potential,” he said.
He also poked fun at his former colleagues and, in a lighter moment, called out his past girlfriends from his teaching days.
Haroun also joked about the difficult conditions they all endured while he was posted on hardship allowance as a teacher.
His post struck a chord with many Kenyans in the diaspora who recognised the frustration of working hard within a system that offered limited upward mobility, and who saw in his story a reflection of their own reasons for leaving.
