“Setting off on the same pedestal, what counts is to what use we put ourselves to realize our aspirations. Starting with an acre, we can reap varied returns depending on how we invest.”
As the week came to an end, I was privileged to share insights around the pharmacy profession with students at Mount Kenya University (MKU) during their Pharmacy Career Day. This was both an opportunity for me to reflect on my school years, basically what I would have wanted to know about the practice, as well as what I wished I knew before graduating. I did my part and beyond sharing insights, it was also a moment for me to learn from them and their lecturers. I’m honored to have been part of such a session, as the insight I got from one of the speeches was invaluable. “The Value of an Acre.”
We have come to a point where depending on land inheritance from our parents as young people isn’t a feasible way to approach life. This is the basis upon which most parents strive to educate and empower their children to be able to fend for themselves beyond inheritance. Using an analogy of an acre of land, Dr. Karanja, a tenured Pharmacist and Lecturer captured the value of an acre of land which varies depending on the person using it and how it’s been put to use. In an era where physical land is valuable but can’t be expanded, the acre of land we have is between our ears (our brains). It’s imperative to put our brains to optimal use , otherwise we’ll be bound to cry foul at one point.
From his analogy, an acre of land according to best agricultural practice for a farmer cultivating maize can make them Ksh40,000 in a year. If the farmer plants tea, he can make Ksh100,000 from the same acre of land. By planting 20,000 stems of cabbage to be sold at Kshs10 per stem would make Ksh200,000. With the same acre of land, if they plant spinach, which would take 20,000 stems, producing three (3) leaves and going for Ksh5 twice a month, they stand a chance of making Ksh2,000,000 from the same piece of land. The difference is the use to which they put that land. In the case of our brains, and common training in the respective fields being our acre of land, then the use to which we put our brains and knowledge gained translates to the output we obtain. We better put our brains to use as per our desires and most importantly, seek counsel along the way. That was the basis of him being part of the young generation, having been in practice for over 30 years. His retirement plan involves guiding junior pharmacists.