A once wealthy Russian-based pediatrician, Alexander, now finds himself working at construction sites in Kenya after a dramatic fall from grace.
For 23 years, Alexander earned between $3,000 and $4,500 a month in Russia, living a comfortable life with his Russian wife. But cracks in their marriage led to divorce, and in search of new beginnings, he set off to explore the world.
His journey eventually brought him to Kenya, where he met and fell in love with a Kikuyu woman. Their whirlwind romance blossomed into marriage, and together they had a child while still in Russia. Convinced he had found true happiness, Alexander sold all his assets in Russia, relocated to Kenya, and poured his savings into livestock farming.
“We bought 500 chickens, 20 pigs, and 20 goats. I thought it was a safe investment, so I left my medical career behind,” he recalled. They also bought land and built a grand home, confident in their fresh start.
But things quickly turned sour. The farm collapsed, their investments failed, and Alexander’s financial cushion vanished. To make matters worse, his wife’s behavior strained the marriage further, and the union ended in divorce.
“She deceived me and eventually sold everything we had,” Alexander lamented.
Today, the man who once lived in luxury is struggling to survive, earning a living through mjengo work at construction sites. His story is a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change when love, trust, and money collide.
