All about Women and Work in Zambia, Women and Jobs, Women and Salaries, Getting a Decent Job, and more on Mywage Zambia.
Take the Salary Survey and Win a Wage!
By Meluse Kapatamoyo
At age 26, Idah Kangwa was ecstatic when she started to live out her dream of working in the hotel industry and becoming independent. Five years later, despite earning a salary, she is still living with her parents. Idah’s pay is too little to provide her with the independence she now yearns for.
“My childhood dream was to work in the hotel industry, so when I completed my one year housekeeping certificate course and got a job, I was excited. My pay at that time was K250, 000. For someone that young and fresh out of college it was a lot,” she said.
“My parents provided me with transport to and from work so my money was spent on shopping.
But financially things became rough for my family after dad lost his job. I became the main provider in the home. That is when I realised that I was getting a measly salary. When I wanted to leave, I couldn’t find a job elsewhere, and when I did, my salary which had risen to K350, 000 at the time, was better than what was on offer,” she continued.
Demanding work
“So I stayed. I work eight hours a day. My job is demanding, as a housekeeper you are responsible for good sanitary conditions around the hotel. It is your duty to clean the rooms, make beds, toilets, clean the patio, etc,” said Idah.
“Right now, my salary is K750, 000. I do not get any allowances and neither do I receive a service charge. Most of the money goes to buying food and paying school fees for my siblings. I walk to my place of work instead of getting on a bus so that the money stretches to the next month end.”
Find out the facts
She continued. “I realise that I should have been wise enough to find out how much people in the industry earn instead of just following my dream. People in the hotel industry earn very little and I do not see the situation changing.”
“Although, I love my career I am thinking about studying something else. But that dream is far-off because I do not have the money or the time to get into school again.”
Read more
Find out more about Decent Work in Zambia. And take our Salary Survey, you may win a prize!