I have a little story to share.
I don’t usually give out my WiFi password, but I also don’t go out of my way to deny anyone access to it. Why? I’m not quite sure. Personally, I never ask people for their WiFi passwords either. If I’m in someone’s home or at a restaurant, I just use my own data unless they offer their WiFi themselves.
My previous nanny, however, knew my WiFi password. I suspect she’s the one who passed it to my gardener. He joined us permanently in December, and one day, he politely asked for my password. I entered it for him on his phone, and that was that. A few weeks later, his phone had issues and had to be flashed by a fundi, which meant his WiFi access was erased. Being the smart guy he is, he came back and explained what had happened, so I put in the password for him again. A few weeks after that, the same thing happened, but this time, he didn’t ask me for the password. 🤔
In January, I got a new nanny—one with a smartphone that’s always on YouTube. She works with it in her pocket, playing music at a very low volume, but it’s running all the time.
Now, I rarely notice when my WiFi subscription is due because my phone automatically switches to data when WiFi isn’t available. The only time I realise it’s off is when I try to use my computer. That’s exactly what happened yesterday. I tried reaching my gardener on WhatsApp—he wasn’t online. I tried the nanny—same thing. That’s when it hit me: Alaa, why is no one online today? I checked my phone and saw it was running on data. That’s when I realised I hadn’t paid for WiFi. It didn’t bother me much since I was resting for most of the day, but by 5:30 PM, when I needed to log into class, I paid the bill, and just like that, life in my home was restored.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. My last neighbour has finally started building, so as expected, the construction site has attracted several fundis. Every evening when I come home, I find them lounging outside, glued to their phones, having tapped into another neighbour’s WiFi.
One evening, I ran into some twin toddlers with their mum and greeted them. I casually asked if my daughter, Gracie, had come over to play. They said yes. That was my first red flag because I never allow her to leave home without my permission.
When I got home, I asked her what she had been up to all day. She’s as detailed as I am, so she told me everything—how she had gone to see the twins with the nanny while the gardener returned a phone to someone at the construction site. And that’s when it hit me: My WiFi password had been shared with the mjengo fundis.
Am I happy about it? Not really. Does it bother me? Yes and no. I don’t mind them using my WiFi, but I feel a little betrayed that my former nanny gave out the password without my permission. That part stings. But at the same time, it’s not like the fundis are camping inside my compound; they only get a weak signal from outside, just enough to keep themselves entertained.
Or am I people-pleasing? Because I’ve been asking myself—what is WiFi, really? Even if I refuse to share the password, can I possibly consume all of it alone? It’s not like food that I can eat by myself and leave nothing for others. Their access doesn’t prevent me from working, attending school, or doing anything I need to do. So, is it really a big deal?
I’ve thought about changing my password, but then again, I figured—let them enjoy it while they’re here. After all, the amount I pay every month doesn’t change whether I use it alone or share it with them. So, we might as well all use it.
And that’s the end of my story.
Just to clarify, they’re not outside my house. They’re outside their own compound, not mine—one house away from me. They sit on the road, using whichever neighbour’s WiFi they can access.