Tech aided learning as means to an end for Domestic Workers

This solution will address lack of skills challenge for Kenyan nannies. Unpacking this further, I target young girls aged between 12 to 24 years who work in houses as house girls (nannies) from a Kenyan context.  This will be done through online technical skills development and face to face in two phases.   The outcome will enable the girls start their own businesses or work in offices depending on one's level of education. The solution will also address mind change on savings encouraging each girl to save towards starting their own businesses.  Partnerships will be sought to make learning achievable with education institutions and mobile providers.  A typical Kenyan house-girl is from under privileged background who may have dropped out of school due to various reasons or could not continue with school due to financial challenges. They lack basic qualification and this is usually a set-back for them. 

Lack of skills and saving culture for Kenyan nannies to tart a meaningful business has left them with the only option to work in houses on full time.  This has exposed them to abuse and undignified working conditions. For the sake of survival, they uptake these jobs.  Sad thing is this is global.  A South African e-news today K-24 highlighted the plight of domestic workers in South Africa.  Their cries and complains are similar showing this could be a challenge of the developing economies.    A number of them have grown to be bitter and no longer enjoys what they do.  Our solution is meant to spark some fire in them.  Give them hope and something to keep looking forward to.   

I am serving domestic workers and specifically house girls (Nannies).  This is a project that begun in 2014 after a design thinking challenge.  We interviewed the primary stakeholders who were the girls, employers, parents and other family members.  The solution is based on the the tested and iterated prototype.  Since then, I have had an opportunity of speaking to girls and their employers on casual basis just to gather more ideas.  Strikingly, house girls challenges are similar.  

My solution will in broader terms address poverty eradication through skills development.  Skills development will empower house girls to look beyond working in houses and open up to them a world of opportunities. To achieve this, my solution is phased into four

1.     Train the girls on basic house keeping, laundry, cookery, child care and first aid not ignoring life skills.  This phase is to prepare girls to effectively work as house girls and empower them with skills for peaceful co-existence with their employers

2.     Once the girls are trained, we register them with our organization and get them some placement to work as house girls.  Here there are few things they will be required to do.  First, they will have to accept to put some savings aside towards their savings on monthly basis.  Two, they have to decide how long they would like to work (though the maximum allowed will be 5 years).  Three, they must start work with an end in mind by identifying a business venture or a career prospect they would love to undertake after the expiry of their working period.

3.     After their working period is over, they have to appear for real world work training.  Based on one's interest.  eg. those interested in sawing will have to be trained to do this.

4.    Approach the savings and credit cooperative society to grant the girls credit facilities against their savings to pitch their ventures.

5.     The final phase is for the institution to establish its own training center,start a production unit and collaborate with other business minded people to support our center.