A former university lecturer who relocated to Canada has attracted attention after sharing a video of herself working as a cleaner at a hotel.
In the TikTok video, posted on her account, @Jojo’s Lifestyle, the woman is seen wearing navy-blue scrubs and a patterned headscarf while cleaning a hotel bathroom. She holds a spray bottle and a green microfibre cloth as she moves around the room, appearing cheerful and comfortable with her new role.
The video sparked discussion online because of her previous career as a university lecturer. Some people questioned why she would leave an academic profession to take up cleaning work abroad. Rather than being embarrassed by the change, she appeared to embrace her new job and showed that earning an honest living mattered more to her than other people’s opinions.
A woman identified as Divine, who lives abroad, defended the lecturer’s decision and explained that immigrants often take whatever legal jobs are available while establishing themselves in a new country. She said there was no shame in doing honest work and noted that people abroad generally focus on their own lives rather than judging others.
Several TikTok users also shared similar experiences. One user revealed that she worked as a cleaner for six months before securing a job with Microsoft in Toronto. Another said she had a PhD and previously worked as a lecturer in Nigeria before moving to Canada, where she initially worked as a cleaner. She later established a home daycare, received a grant and planned to start her own cleaning business.
Another commenter encouraged the lecturer to remain positive, saying that progress matters regardless of where a person starts. The comments reflected the experiences of many immigrants who begin with entry-level jobs before eventually finding opportunities related to their education or starting businesses.
The story also comes amid discussions about the earning potential of manual jobs abroad. A Kenyan living and working in Australia recently claimed that some physically demanding jobs could pay between KSh10,000 and KSh11,000 per hour, while caregiving work could reportedly pay around KSh5,000 to KSh6,000 per hour. However, commenters also noted that higher wages abroad often come with expensive living costs, demanding working conditions and the challenge of being far from family.
Overall, the lecturer’s experience has sparked a broader conversation about migration, dignity of labour, financial independence and the sacrifices people sometimes make when starting over in another country.
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