Kenyan Man with PhD Leaves Career in Scotland to Focus on Raising His Children
Dr David Opar, a medical doctor who earned a PhD in South Korea, has left his career to focus on caring for his family after the death of his brother and his own near-fatal health scare.
Opar said in a recent video that his brother died from blood clots in the lungs, an experience that reminded him of a medical emergency he faced three years earlier. At the time, he continued working despite struggling to breathe and survived only after a colleague took him to the hospital.
He returned to work three days after his brother’s death. According to Opar, his employer showed little sympathy. He said his manager asked insensitive questions and required him to attend a meeting immediately after he returned from his brother’s funeral in Kenya.
Although he considered leaving earlier, financial responsibilities kept him in the job. The pressure increased after the birth of his second child. Opar requested reduced working hours to help manage childcare and his mental health, but he said his employer insisted that he continue working full-time.
With no relatives nearby to help with childcare, Opar decided to leave his position and become a stay-at-home father while exploring opportunities to start a business. He also said he agreed to attend therapy for the first time, describing it as an important step in recognising the value of personal freedom.
Opar explained that he wanted more time with his children and greater ability to support his extended family. In a similar case, a man in Nairobi recently said he was considering leaving his job after his wife secured employment in Qatar. He said he was concerned about the effect of her relocation on their young child and was weighing whether to leave work to provide care at home.
