Balbina Gulam

Domestic work is another industry impacted by digital platforms. In 2019, Balbina Gulam set up ‘Huduma Smart’ - a web-based platform connecting trained housemaids to clientele in Tanzania. “Domestic work is not seen as a professional sector, and this often puts young female housemaids in vulnerable positions,” explains Gulam. “We saw a big problem with unpaid salaries. There were also cases of physical and emotional abuse. But, through this platform, contracts are signed and they have their rights protected.”

Across sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank estimates that more than 80% of workers find their livelihoods in the informal sector. In Kenya, it’s estimated that the informal sector accounts for 82% of the working population, while in Tanzania, it is thought to be even higher.

2019 Anzisha fellow Balbina Gullam, has been leveraging technology to give maids across Tanzania access to respectable employment.

Africa’s high unemployment rate is one of the leading barriers to growth prosperity on the continent. As dire as the current situation is, it is set to worsen with growing numbers of job seekers entering a market that already lacks employment opportunities. According to the World Bank, the youth segment accounts for 60% of total unemployment numbers in Africa. The increasing youth population poses a serious challenge as it is projected to put additional strain on already pressurised African economies. Especially when taking into consideration that with 200 million people between the ages of 15 and 24, Africa has the largest youth population in the world. For the most part, this is viewed as a major liability factor for the continent.

(Ecofin Agency) - Balbina Gulam, 21, is the founder of Huduma Smart, a company that trains domestic workers and connects them with employers through an online platform. Employers can thus recruit workers according to their requirements. Huduma Smart also provides health insurance and contracts to its staff, to make their work acceptable. An equality activist, Balbina is passionate about improving working conditions for domestics. Its objective is to have this work recognized at the national and international level as a decent activity that can lead to the autonomy of workers, and further, to the economic growth of a country.

After months of research on the African continent, the Anzisha Prize has unveiled its top twenty finalists for the 2019 edition. The winner will be crowned at the ninth Anzisha Prize Forum October 22 in Johannesburg, South Africa.