Gwiji's impact has already been felt across Nairobi, with over 2,000 cleaners onboarded and more than 100,000 cleaning orders completed. Beyond the numbers, the lives of these women have been transformed.
Leah, for example, has been able to educate her children with her earnings, with her firstborn daughter recently joining university to study journalism.
Another cleaner, Nancy, has started a kiosk business in South B, selling fruits and vegetables. These are just a few examples of how increased income through Gwiji is breaking the cycle of poverty for families. Gwiji's achievements haven't gone unnoticed.
In 2023, the platform won numerous awards, including the title of Best App for Empowering Women in Kenya at the Mobile App Awards and the global Aurora Tech Award. That same year, Elizabeth was among the Top 40 Under 40 Women of 2023, and this year, she was named one of Kenya's 50 Most Influential Women, and Gwiji clinched the award for Most Adaptive Use of Technology at the Kayana MSMEs Awards.
One of Gwiji's most significant milestones this year has been its partnership with TRANSFORM, a collaboration involving Unilever, EY, and the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO). Through this partnership, Gwiji aims to empower 10,000 women from informal urban settlements across Kenya over the next two years.
TRANSFORM is helping Gwiji scale up its capacity by providing mentorship, resources, and expert support locally and internationally. As part of its growth strategy, Gwiji launched a new mobile app on September 20, 2024, with expanded services that include deep cleaning, fumigation, carpet cleaning, and small business cleaning services.
While expanding into these new areas, Gwiji guarantees that its core principles of trust, quality, and professionalism will remain intact. The new service offering, "Gwiji for Business," was introduced in response to the needs of small business owners, especially those in the Airbnb and startup sectors.
Elizabeth Mwangi, a small business owner herself, understands the challenges these businesses face in maintaining clean, comfortable environments for clients and staff.
She recognises that finding reliable, professional cleaners remains a struggle for many Airbnb business owners in cities like Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa, affecting their ability to attract and retain customers.
Surplus income
In addition to its expanded services, Gwiji is working on another project in partnership with TRANSFORM: the Gwiji Chama Savings Programme.
This initiative provides financial wellness training and helps cleaners save their surplus income through the Gwiji platform, empowering them to plan for their futures and secure a better future for their children.
Elizabeth strongly believes that Kenya has the potential to employ its domestic workers locally, reducing the need for these women to seek employment abroad under risky conditions.
"Kenya is facing an unemployment crisis, and the solution for this crisis will not come from outside. Let us learn to empower our own. If we do not, they will go abroad in search of opportunities, where they are unprotected and have no guarantee of achieving the greener pastures they are promised," she said.
Gwiji invites all Kenyans to support the domestic work sector and bring dignity and professionalism to this essential service. "Domestically, our market is large enough to accommodate these women, and at Gwiji, we promise to give you value for your money," Elizabeth added. Together, Gwiji for Women and its partners are paving the way for a brighter, more equitable future for Kenya's women and their families.