Benjamin Kuti trained as an engineer in the United Kingdom and went on to work at Rolls Royce, Derby, as a computational engineer. But he was not making enough money to take care of his bills.
He decided to take up a cleaning job as a side hustle in a care home to augment his salary and also remit to his family back in Nigeria. Ordinarily, Kuti wouldn’t take up a job as a cleaner considering the fact that it is a menial job and he is well educated, according to Premium Times Nigeria.
Kuti brushed pride aside and a few weeks into his new cleaning job, he found himself recommending others for a similar job at the care home he was working. Over time, Kuti saw an opportunity to become a business owner in the care industry.
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“They were always recruiting people, always short of staff. I said to myself, ‘there are a lot of people willing to work in London,’” he told Premium Times Nigeria.
Kuti spoke to the management of the care home and recommended some people he knew for training and recruitment. As time went on, the care home began to rely on him for personnel.
“I spoke to the management; I spoke to Sally, who said if I had people I should bring them down. She was going to train them and they needed people,” Kuti said. “I brought folks down, the first week they employed one person. The guy was so good that Sally asked if she could get another person just like him. I recruited two more people for them,” he narrated.
After recommending some people to the care home, he co-founded Genuine Care, where he recruits personnel for care homes. Kuti now earns about 18,000 pounds ($23,000) weekly, he told Premium Times. He has quit his job at Rolls Royce to consider his side hustle as a full-time job. He has also recruited and given opportunities to several Nigerians living in the UK.
“I feel what made me happy the most was that I was giving opportunities to people; people were happy, people who have not worked in a while. And most of the people I recruit are Nigerians, knowing that we must help ourselves,” he said.
Kuti explained his work at Genuine Care. “I am recommended to care homes who need staffers who I in turn help to recruit people who are ready to work. I employ a lot of Nigerians, knowing how difficult it is to settle in when you get here and I am where I am today because someone helped me too.”
