Disabled man creates online platform to help disabled people find jobs

In Kenya is very hard for physically disabled people to get a job. Because he uses a wheelchair, Fredrick was turned away from employment several times.

“There is a general notion that if you’re disabled you don’t need to work because your family look after you or you’re on government benefits. Not in their wildest dreams would an employer think you want to work and that you may be qualified”, he explained.

As a way to solve this problem, Fredrick came up with a way to reach companies that would be interested in diversifying their labour pool. So he created Riziki Source (Swahili for “livelihood”), an online platform that helps to match job seekers to job providers.

In order to benefit from this tool, users insert their qualifications, skill sets, location and disability. Then they are matched with potential employers. The users’ qualifications are visible to the companies but not their CVs - if a company is interested in a particular candidate, they connect through Frederick and his colleagues.

In its first six months online, Riziki Source was able to help 10 disabled people to find employment.

Riziki Source was shortlisted for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for engineering innovation and got funded with 30,000 USD from the Kenya department of labour.

Fredrick’s goal is to change the narrative of disability in Africa.

More info: http://www.rizikisource.org

Adapted from: https://bit.ly/2hrYo2a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kLDpVQ7O4