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Stanley, the ex platform worker

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"My dream is to have a suitable home for my family and to ensure they get all they need."

Stanley had been connecting to cleaning jobs through Kenyan on-demand platform, Lynk. Good at what he does, he was regularly commissioned as a professional cleaner for various clients in Nairobi. COVID-19 took this away and turned his life upside down. Stanley’s story surfaces some of the most contentious issues around platform work. He considered his arrangement with Lynk a “job” and states that in the future he would want the security of a two-year contract. This shows clearly how expectations and norms from workers do not align with the reality of how platforms operate, which is increasingly also becoming a legal and policy gray area. Watch the video to see how Stanley turned the loss of this platform work into an opportunity.

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Okoli, the e-commerce entrepreneur

"I had to get a side hustle. I had to look for another thing to do.”

At just 20, Okoli runs his own solar business in Lagos. While traditionally operating through a physical shop, COVID-19 forced him to move the bulk of his business online. Okoli was initially excited by the shift, but he has been disappointed with sales. The firstborn of six, Okoli feels pressured to set the pace for his siblings and contribute to his household. He knows he must diversify his income to not only survive, but to thrive.

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Sabina, the on-demand carpenter

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"Everyday, I have to be creative, and so everyday I learn something new."

Sabina is one of very few female carpenters in Nairobi working through Lynk, an on-demand labor platform. She initially faced stigma from the male carpenters and customers who didn’t think she could deliver to the standard they expected. She had to prove she had a right to be there. Drawing on her inner grit, Sabina earned the respect of her colleagues, actively fighting gender norms along the way.

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Peter, the taxi driver

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"Side hustle is something everyone needs to have."

Peter’s wife calls him a go-getter. He drives for Bolt and has big dreams for his side hustle, a 2000-bird poultry farm. If COVID-19 has taught him anything, it’s that you need to have a Plan B. He sees the poultry farm as a more stable investment than his platform work. With a wife and young daughter to keep him focused, and a formidable knack for hustle, Peter is slowly overcoming the challenges of 2020.

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Mary, the YouTube agripreneur

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"I want to inspire young people to stop relying heavily on employment."

The Internet is very important to Mary, a Kenyan organic strawberry and mushroom farmer. And, as she says, she’s quite good at it. She loves consuming content on Facebook, Instagram, and, most passionately, YouTube. Inspired to share her knowledge of organic farming, Mary started a YouTube channel. She uploads how-to videos, engages in supportive online discussions, and promotes sales of her mushrooms and strawberries. She shares her tough journey and dreams.

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Jemima, the software engineer

"I see COVID-19 trying to change the world into the digital system."

Before the pandemic, Jemima had a strong network of clients in Accra. When COVID-19 hit and Ghana’s economy slowed down, many of these businesses closed. She turned to online freelancing platforms, including Upwork and Fiverr, to earn a living and is now busier than ever. Though solemn about the human impact of the pandemic, Jemima is excited by how the need for social distancing has accelerated the world’s shift to digital. “I see technology as spearheading the world of change,” she says. “COVID is like a catalyst in our field.”

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Kemi, the social business owner

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"Honestly, I believe happiness is what you make it."

This year might have been the toughest for Gloria but she still beams with optimism. Retrenched from her role as a brand manager when COVID-19 hit, Gloria’s side hustle — selling fashion items through Facebook and WhatsApp — suddenly became her only source of income. With the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, sales from her social commerce business plummeted. Gloria is now trying to double down on formalizing her side hustle to earn enough to support her and her young daughter.

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Dorcas, the social commerce entrepreneur

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"Yes, I am sick. But can I work around my sickness? Can I still be a productive person?"

Dorcas suffers from lupus. Unable to sustain a demanding media career owing to this illness, she now operates numerous social commerce businesses. She uses WhatsApp, Facebook, and logistics platforms to conduct most of her operations, which allows her greater flexibility to better manage her health and work from home. When her cake business was affected by COVID-19, Dorcas had to get creative to diversify her source of income. In the face of adversity, Dorcas knows how important it is to stay productive and agile. Dorcas is taking advantage of social media to build her business empire.

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Dathive, the motorcycle taxi driver

"I did not know that I was able to work so hard."

Known as “Señorita” to her regular customers, Dathive is one of only two female motorcycle taxi drivers on Uganda’s SafeBoda ride-hailing platform. The flexibility of the platform work suits her, especially as a mother of four. While COVID-19 has brought several challenges, Dathive continues to draw on her inner resilience to stay focused on the future.

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We have gathered informed consent from all individuals who are featured speaking to the camera in these videos. You can find more information about our approach, and the design of the participatory video storytelling project on the project page.

Ann, the freelance developer

"Especially in this part of Nigeria, females are not seen to thrive in a tech world."

After graduating from the University of Lagos with a degree in Chemical Engineering, Ann found it challenging to find a job. She decided to teach herself how to code and signed up to Fiverr and Upwork as a freelance software developer. Since taking up online freelance work, Ann realized that she loves being her own boss. She can work when she wants and where she wants, something she had never thought possible before. Ann also loves that she’s making it as a young Nigerian woman in a male-dominated industry.

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