The Golazo Project

A graduate of Computer Science from Uganda's Makerere University Kampala. Rodger has over 14 years of experience; former Head of Talent Development at Enlight Institute, and customer services trainer at Qatar Airways in Doha. Has a background in IT, business development, customer services, training and coaching.

At least 70% of the youth in Uganda are believed to be unemployed or underemployed. Yet Uganda has a strong entrepreneurial tradition, and has been ranked as the most entrepreneurial country in the world.
Our team therefore, has created a solution - GiGs Mobile App -  that leverages the citizens’ entrepreneurial spirit to combat youth unemployment.
Using our tech platform, we have the ability to connect at least 1 million youth and 100,000 businesses in the next five years to work together for a stronger economy and subsequent job creation in Uganda.

Youth Unemployment
By 2030, Africa is expected to hold the largest potential workforce in the world - 600 million working-age population. With an estimated total population of 44 million, and a median age of 15.9, Uganda is the world’s second youngest country, of these over 70% are unemployed. Nearly 400,000 youths in Uganda join the job market every year since 1992, many of which are graduates from various universities and higher institutions of learning. It is estimated that the working-age population will increase by 13 million people between 2017 to 2030.

Growth in Uganda’s economy has not been fast enough to create enough jobs with higher earnings for one of the world’s fastest growing workforces. About 94% of 1.8million SMEs struggle to grow their operations due to lack of supporting tools and skilled personnel. If technology was incorporated into the daily operation of the businesses, the service industry has an even higher potential for growth that would easily double the current earnings and create more jobs; through the complimenting of the traditional models to see to a multiplication of outputs, reduced costs of production and increased speeds and efficiency for all the stakeholders.

The main objective of the project is the creation of decent and productive work for the over 37million youths in Uganda, through the facilitation of SMEs’ growth, and information exchange sessions for the largest sector of the nation's economy. We work towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 5, 8 and 10;

- (1)No poverty
- (5)Gender equality
- (8) Decent work and economic growth
- (10)Reduced Inequalities

As more and better educated youth enter the labor force, this main objective though challenging and urgent, is achievable with concerted efforts from all the parties concerned. A three-phased systematic approach has been undertaken in the implementation to ensure the best cost effectiveness and the sustainability of the project and therefore of the jobs to be created. Priority has been given to the service sector because it contributes over 50% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), effectively making it the most viable sector for job creation.

We employ extensively integrated technology with trainings, coaching sessions and research resources, to act as catalysts to stimulate growth of the SMEs. Our tech-platform links entrepreneurs to the unemployed youth, who build, refine and trade their products and services to increase productivity and subsequent growth to absorb job-seekers.

Ugandans are known for their commitment to work and entrepreneurship, and the country ranks as the most entrepreneurial nation in the world.
The project targets towns and cities across the country, with the priority beneficiaries being the youth, vulnerable members of society and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with ambitions to grow and expand their operations.
Uganda’s service sector which generates an annual GDP of USD18+ billions (over 50% to the nation’s GDP), is the largest economic sector in the country, and a major driver of employment, investment and foreign exchange.

The tourism and entertainment sub-sectors of the service industry generate over $6 billion annually, and have such an enormous potential for growth, yet still suffer due to lack of technically advanced support tools and skilled personnel; this despite over 400,000 young people joining the job market every year.

Using our GiGs platform, young people can land freelance real-time jobs by creating detailed profiles demonstrating their skills, qualifications and experiences; along with reviews from real employers in their past work engagements. The entrepreneurs too stand a chance to save on the rather big budget they would have spent on hiring and facilitating a full-time employee whilst still a small business, with a limited budget.

Our project is focused on the triple-bottom line, improving employment opportunities for the youth, reduce environmental pressure, and reinvest in  solutions. We tap into three-quarters of our population which is young and underemployed, grow not the SMEs and the general economy.
By:
Enhancing productivity of SMEs: Gives businesses a chance to save by linking them to skilled youths

Placing money in the pockets of the youth: Connects unemployed youth to hiring opportunities which effectively increases their purchasing power and confidence amongst peers

Create a more employable talent pool: our trainings and coaching enhance the competences and employability of the youth

Ever since my first interaction with a computer, at age 12, I have always been fascinated with the limitless possibilities the internet can provide to its users. I utilize the internet in all aspects of my life - work, home, personal and social. My desire is for a majority of Ugandans to have the capability to conduct most of their everyday tasks online. This however is still not yet the reality; we still see wastage, disorganization and potential for fraud due to use of paper records, especially in the tourism and recreation industries.

The tourism and recreation industry contributes over $6 billion annually to the nation’s GDP, and has enormous growth potential, yet still suffers from the use of rudimental tools and methods in its service delivery, which greatly limits its ability to grow. If 95% of households in Uganda use Mobile Money for various transactions like grocery shopping, data, airtime, etc. - why not use it to solve unemployment?

Following these realizations, my co-founder (Dennis Kabuye) and I came together to build the GiGs platform that utilizes our IT skills to solve the youth unemployment challenge in Uganda.

Born and bred in Africa,I have experienced first hand the pains and struggles of making it through school when coming from a poor family. My dad was a truck driver, and my mom a decent house-wife that had to raise five of us through immense toiling.In high-school, I would walk 10 miles to school and back everyday; and at the university, I had to pay 50% of my tuition by working full-time through the night at an internet cafe, and attend full-time school during the day.
These challenges inspired me to use the skills that I gained through school, and the 14years of experience that I gained when working, to invest and build a software platform that could be of assistance to other young people out there who would be going through the same things that I went through whilst attending school.
My experiences taught me that many of our young people could be performing better in school, attain good grades, if only they had the chance to earn some pocket money in less strenuous ways than what I had to endure. This is why the GiGs project is so close to my heart, and I work so hard for its success.

I posses 14+ years, of valuable experience in the fields of IT, Customer Service, Business Development, Training and Coaching.
My experience dates back to my first job as a cashier at Olympia restaurant, to training Customer Service staff at Qatar Airways in Doha (2014 - 2017) and building the Soft Skills curriculum for Enlight Institute in Uganda (2017 - 2019).
Listed below are some of the skills I have gained over the years,that make me well-positioned for the project.

Skills

 Customer Service: - Acquired over a period of 14 years, well tried and tested in dealing with customers from various backgrounds.

 Training/Coaching: - Building tailored programs based on operational trends and available resources to equip and develop teams at work.

 IT Support: - Troubleshooting, maintenance and configuration of computer systems (Windows &Mac) and equipment for optimum usage.

lExcellent communication: gained through numerous written communications, product presentations, and a passion for reading.

 Leadership &Management: - over 7 years practical experience in motivation &management of personnel resources.

 Microsoft Office: - Experienced in usage of MS office packages (Excel, Word, PPT, etc.) at an advanced level.

 Self-starter: - can work efficiently on own initiative with minimum supervision.

Teamwork: - Creative team management and coordination

Results oriented: – Customer satisfaction is always front and center

Our project has been greatly affected by the emergency of COVID19, as a result we have had to greatly alter our normal operations in order to stay productive whilst working remotely.
As the leader of my team, I had to take the lead on the implementation and ensuring that operations continue as close to normal as possible.
I had to ensure that every member of the team builds a routine that they can stick to throughout the whole period we have had to be quarantined, that we all have Zoom configured on our electronic devices for virtual meetings, and I also created a whatsapp group for instant updates and continued communication.
Additionally, we have used what would have been a setback due to the virus, as an opportunity to create new features to incorporate into our platform, so that our customers can look up to us for solutions in overcoming challenges presented by the global pandemic.
During this crisis,I have overseen the redesigning and enhancement of our quick access button, the information filtering and expansion of essential services providers' list.

When I joined Qatar Airways in 2014, I signed-on as a junior Customer Service staff required to respond to normal regular tasks. However, on joining the team,I realized that there was a gap in the gathering and dissemination of information from the management to the rest of the staff. I therefore took it upon myself to collect all the daily bulletins that were continually passed on from the top management, neatly arranged them and stored in the box folder for easy access by the team.
I further went ahead to make it a point that I was always the first to read through and internalize these bulletins so that I can help in explaining the details to my teammates. It was through this dedication and commitment that I showed,that managed spotted me out,and promoted me to become a staff trainer for the entire Customer Service department.

Not Applicable

Future employers have a great opportunity to browse through profiles of skilled young people and directly contact them for work. Jobs could range from an hour of creating a few prototype logos to a few weeks of seasonal sales, to writing of business proposals, etc., either way both parties (the youth and the SME owners) have the freedom and benefits of short-term work, and the option to extend the work for as long as the opportunities are still available.

Once connected through our app – GiGs, the business owner and employee have a chance to communicate via in-app messaging/voice call which helps the young person to know more about the tasks ahead, and for the business owner to know more about the person they will be hiring.
As businesses and employers embrace this platform, they will be able to expand their productivity on a flexible basis, and most importantly grow their businesses to create permanent jobs with the help of the skilled talents. These would otherwise have been very expensive to hire on a full-time/long term contract during the startup stages.
Meanwhile for the young person, they will be introduced to a whole new world of earning from their skills, learn rules of trade, and gain valuable experience on the job which will ultimately increase their chances of getting full time employment if they so choose.

Intervention Logic
Goal:
Contribute towards increased productivity and growth of SMEs to provide sustainable decent employment opportunities for young people and women in Uganda by 2022.

Outcomes 
Outcome 1: Increased access to employment/income generating opportunities for 10000 young people through our tech-platform
Outcome 2: Improved safe and more efficient work environment for young people
Outcome 3: Increased private sector investment
Outcome 4: Improved professional human capital development and work performance for young people in the job-market

Outputs:
·SMEs signing-up to the GiGs model and willing to employ young people and women.
·Young people selected and equipped with social empowerment skills.
·50000 young people enrolled on the GiGs app
·25000 young people absorbed in permanent jobs by SMEs
·Companies adopting workers’ rights and safety standards
·Positive attitude changes among young people towards work

Activities
Activity 1.1.1 conduct a feasibility study /baseline survey
Activity 1.1.2 Conduct mapping and assessment of SMEs
Activity 1.1.3 Conduct awareness workshops for SMEs
Activity 1.1.4 Conduct consultation meetings with higher institutions of learning to develop customized trainings and selection criteria needs
Activity 2.1.1 Conduct initial assessment of SMEs' minimum safety standards
Activity 2.1.2 Conduct Labour standards and gender orientation of entrepreneurs
Activity 2.1.3 Support development and roll out of safety standard guidelines for young people.
Activity 3.1.1 Conduct market assessment to identify local SMEs with models to support short-term hires
Activity 3.1.3 Conduct financial literacy trainings
Activity 3.1.5 Support young people to develop viable profiles on the app
Activity 4.1.1 Conduct coaching for entrepreneurs
Activity 4.1.2 One -one coaching for the young people

M& E activities
Conduct quarterly meetings with project partners.
Conduct routine quarterly quality monitoring.
Conduct monthly MIS (project progress data) data quality audit.
Periodic project evaluations, assessments & operation research.
Monitoring & evaluation findings dissemination seminars. Monitoring and evaluation capacity building

Objectively Verifiable Indicator
% of young people employed
% of young people with increased income status
Number of new jobs created by SMEs
% of young people with improved working conditions
Number of labor rights policy recommendations formulated for young people.
Number of young people with improved labor productivity
% of young people retained in employment

Source and mean of verification
Annual project report
Quarterly monitoring reports
End of project Evaluation report
Ministry of Labor reports
UBOS reports
Ministry reports.
Training reports
Mentoring reports
Quarterly progress reports
Signed partnership agreements

Current number of people served: 100 SMEs, 1000 youth

Number in one year: 300SMEs, 6000 youth

Number in five years: 100,000 SMEs, 1 million youth

o   Ability to transition at least 50% of the young people registered on the platform into full-time employees with a better pay

o   At least 80% of the hired young people employ the skills and trainings gained from using our platform to retain their newly acquired jobs for a minimum of six months

o   For employers to choose the GiGs profiles over written CVs in recruitment: In an attempt to eliminate bias and stigma in the recruitment process, we want to rid the process of written CVs and resumes. CVs have been known to be misleading sometimes, in regards to measuring the strengths and abilities of the applicant. In essence, a CV can only be as good as the writer’s skills, while for a GiGs profile, the candidate will be well rated by real employers whose contacts and addresses can be easily accessed for verification of the claims.

o   See at least 50% of the registered SMEs create more full-time jobs to absorb the youths

o   Have a great number of the youth spend a great amount of time learning new skills on our platform

o   Increased revenue flow in the nation's economy

Lack of adequate funds
Inadequate technical manpower
Minimal number of willing entrepreneurs
Favorable government policies towards job creation

Lack of adequate funds: Applying to various funding and pitching programs, and we have also taken out bank loans to sustain the project.
Inadequate technical manpower: Applying to accelerator programs for added resources, and also building 
Minimal number of willing entrepreneurs: Continued marketing and undertaking sensitization drives,highlighting the advantages of signing onto the program.
Favorable government policies towards job creation: Engaging the ministry of labour and social development to become an implementing partner of the program

Golazo Photography: They provide media coverage and documentation of our work in both video and still photographs.

Free app downloads for both the SMEs and youths
Work together with universities and higher institutions of learning to vet the young people that would be hired for the short-term jobs by SMEs.
Businesses are required to register with their trading licenses, location details and contacts for purposes of accountability and safety for the youth.
Trainings and coaching sessions are conducted in a communal format, where the facilitator encourages equal participation for effective impact.

1.  Commission charges: Young people using the platform charged a small percentage commission for every successful payment transaction processed from the employer.

2.  Paid professional trainings and services: SMEs and young talents are charged for organized professional trainings in critical thinking and problem solving, time management and professionalism, sales and marketing, financial prudence and customer service; Competence assessments and coaching sessions aimed at upskilling and enhancing their talents.

3.  Power user fees: An amount is charged for unlimited usage of the app by the youth after securing a number of jobs.

4.  Pricing packages: We have designed subscription packages that have been categorized into two major structures - Corporate loyalty package, and Student package; - The corporate package is a 3-tier package for all loyal non-student clients composed of; G-Choice, G-Smart and G-Bold, all of which have been designed to award benefits that will encourage customer loyalty. The Student package has been beautifully plaited to students’ advantages as a determined effort to encourage more Internet based research amongst keen students. 5.  Ad space sales to advertise on our platform.

- We have taken out two loans in the past two years totaling to USD $10000, from Equity Bank Uganda Ltd.
- Generated USD $35,000 in one year of business operations
- Founder seed funding - USD $30,000

Current Ask : USD $150,000

$50k - Grants
$100K- 5% Equity

to give us 18 months Runway
Planned achievements
•Generate $170k revenue (Total)
•$10k MRR (in 18months)
•Develop iOS App(in 3months)
•Expannd operations to 10 districts

Our main requirement is financial support to transition our staff to full-time, with an office and vehicle, in order to maximize the impact we aim to achieve in a shorter time frame. Additionally, we seek technical advice in order to make the project a success, especially along the lines of business development, staff trainings and role mentoring. During the designing and development stages of the project, we have actively sought for support and advice from institutions like The Innovation Village Uganda, Lend A Hand Foundation and many different individuals from Uganda and abroad with good knowledge on the subject matter.

The Elevate Prize, will make it possible for us to achieve the below:

Scale of Impact: As a social impact venture, we need to scale up rapidly to achieve impact

Field experts: Technical expertise needed to see to the successful implementation of the project, upskilling of our current and newly recruited staff to ensure success of the project.

Our Key Needs
o   Staffing: Funds for salaries, including hiring for key roles in development/testing, data analysis and sales/outreach. We currently have a passionate part-time team who we would like to transition to full-time dedicated staff.
o   Marketing & Business Development: Traveling to partnership meetings and customer outreach to raise awareness
o   Technical support: Access to relevant technologies and coding techniques for tracking, payments and information gathering to strengthen our product offering.
o   Larger working space:A larger office space with room to grow
o   Staff transportation van: To aid staff in operational duties

o   Funding: Funds for salaries, including hiring for key roles in development/testing, data analysis and sales/outreach. 

o   Marketing & Business Development: Traveling to partnership meetings and customer outreach and placing select ads on social media for events and services. Raising our profile and gaining public trust is key to our success as employment mediators.

o   Talent recruitment: Access to relevant technologies and coding techniques for tracking, payments and information gathering to strengthen our product offering.

o   Mentorship and coaching: In order to fully implement the entire project, we need a larger office space with room to grow. Working out of cafes and living rooms is a good place to start but is not optimal for our employees in the long run.

Microsoft corporation: For support on software licenses

Adobe software company: For technical support in design and product development.

Funding organizations (various): For funding the project

Business accelerator: For mentorship and coaching programs