New technology unveiled to fight workers exploitation in Middle East

Participants during the launch of the Just Good Work App

NAIROBI, KENYA: A new technology to help Kenyans seeking jobs in the Middle East get firsthand information has been launched

The app, Just Good Work, helps prospective job seekers to know what exactly to expect before they make a decision to leave the country for greener pastures in foreign countries. It has been developed in collaboration with the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK).

Just therefore allows prospective employees to do a fact check and due diligence before making a conscious decision in their prospective jobs. It seeks to increase transparency of the recruitment process, enabling people to make informed choices and ensure they are safe, profitable and legal; this helps them avoid deception, debt and exploitation.

Speaking during the launch of the app at the All Saints Cathedral Church in Nairobi, Bishop Julius Wanyoike of Thika Diocese said the goal is to end the trend of people travelling to seek greener pastures only to end up in slavery in the Middle East.

“We seek to tackle human trafficking, slavery and disposal of family property in the search for greener pastures outside the country which eventually leads to desperation, hopelessness and even death when these hopes are not fulfilled,” said Wanyoike.

The initiative was begun by Rev Fr Paul Davies, an Anglican priest who served in Qatar for four years and saw the dangers immigrants find themselves in due lack of sufficient information before they leave their respective countries.

Davies said, “When I worked in Qatar, most of my parishioners were from Kenya and I wanted to find ways through which I could help them with their lives; recruitment was a big problem which started right here back home hence the desire to inform Kenyans for them to make better choices.”

Stories of mistreatment and even killing of Kenyan workers in the Middle East have become commonplace as many find that they are in jobs that they did not even sign up for. The app therefore shed light on NGOs, charities and recruitment agencies.