Africa AI Labs trains and manages a distributed data-labeling workforce. Their proven training program accepts youth from the slums who have never touched a computer before, puts them through a 4-month training program, and provides them with dignified data-labeling work.
The company is now progressing to providing managed workforces and securing process outsourcing projects. They franchise their Cloud Lab model, leasing-to-own computer equipment to community-based organizations that have idle computer labs. Africa AI Labs manages the space and provides training and regular work for low-skilled workers.
Innovation
- Jijenge trains and manages a distributed data-labelling workforce.
- Their proven training program accepts youth from the slums who have never touched a computer before, puts them through a 4 month training program and provides them with dignified data-labelling work. The company is now progressing to providing managed workforces and securing process outsourcing projects.
- Africa AI Labs franchises their Cloud Lab model, leasing-to-own computer equipment to community-based organizations that have idle computer labs. Jijenge manages the space and provides training and regular work for low skilled workers.
- Africa AI Lab’s community based, distributed model, provides high retention, highly motivated workers without the need for capital investment in workspaces.
Key Milestones under KCJF
- The company takes unemployed, informal sector youth and provides them with training and a steady flow of data labelling work, moving hundreds of youth to dignified, formal sector jobs.
- Africa AI Labs provides its workers with monthly salaries of approximately £100; most of its workers were previously unemployed, or were employed in jobs making about £30/month.
- By June 2022, Africa AI Labs will employ an additional 2,000-3,000 workers, by on-boarding 20 distributors (the community-based organizations) that each have a capacity for 50 seats serving 100-150 workers (working day and night shifts).
About The Founder
Vassiliki Daskalakis began her career in Investment Banking with JPMorgan NYC before moving to Nairobi as an Investment Advisor with I-DEV International to help African startups raise capital, grow, and scale. Later she joined EIDU as Growth Manager to help refine the business model for Pan-African expansion and achieve product-market fit for their ECD app to schools in the slums. Her areas of expertise include developing sustainable social business models, and building products that cater to informal settlements in Africa.
Dr. John Mucoki, Ops Manager & Co-founder, worked at an understaffed Kenyan children’s home, where he implemented a holistic plan which created specialised housing units, zeroed mortality rates among children under 5, established a clinic, rallied foreign service officers to take over, and fundraised for the orphanage to triple its students in 3 years. He has over 7 years experience working with several institutions to implement programs to aid marginalised communities in the slums. John’s core competency is helping marginalised youth succeed, and his expertise is scaling and growing businesses in East Africa.