Freelance community, Kuhustle has signed an agreement with Nairobits Trust to improve the Kenyan online work sector. The partnership, which is for a year, will see Kuhustle opening its platform to Nairobits Trust students and alumni. Together, they hope to increase the skills, awareness and access to online work for young people in Nairobi.
With an unemployment rate of 40% and half of the Kenyan population being youths, it’s not difficult to see why there are plans, such as this one, to make other sources of income available. For those that can’t find traditional 9-5 jobs, online freelancing is a lifesaver and it’s great that partnerships like this are happening.
Speaking on the partnership, the CEO of Kuhustle, Billy Odero said, “There is a clear opportunity for young people to find employment in the space for online work. Kuhustle is growing with an offering of 70 jobs per month. By entering into this partnership, we are providing this platform as an access point for marginalized youth with relevant skills. Nairobits Trust have had a social impact mission from its inception, we want to acknowledge the great work that they have done, by offering their students access to opportunities that will change their lives.”
Nairobits Trust is also happy this collaboration is happening, or at least the program manager, Rukia Sebit, is. In her words, “We are very pleased to be a part of this agreement. Nairobits’ mission is to empower marginalized youth between the ages 15 and 24 living in the urban non formal settlements. We consistently provide them with ICT training with the aim of giving them chances in the formal and non-formal employment. Online work or freelancing is a growing market place for youth to get that chance at making a living. This is definitely a great step forward for our growth.”
For those who don’t know, Kuhustle is a freelance online community (kinda like Upwork) that connects ready freelancers to whoever might need their services. On the other hand, Nairobits Trust is a not-for-profit organisation that provides youths in urban non-formal settlements with digital skills for them to have a better chance at employment in these times. So you see why this partnership is good news for youths in Kenya.
Honestly, I’d like to see something like this happen in Nigeria. For instance, a SHORTLIST Tech/Pearls Africa partnership-type thing so people learning skills have a place to go when they are done. Anyway, yay for Kenya, and here’s to hoping more collaborations happen.
