Mary is a single parent of two children currently residing in Kawangware, Nairobi Kenya. She currently works as a cleaner on Lynk, a digital gig platform that connects workers to clients.

Prior to joining Lynk, Mary worked as an untrained housekeeper. While she was grateful to have a stable income, she wanted to have more flexibility with her working hours. Like most domestic workers, Mary did not have leverage to negotiate formal terms of engagement with her employers, which meant that the scope of her work changed often and she had to work long hours.

In her search for a better work opportunity, Mary’s friend recommended her to Lynk. She embraced the idea of being part of the gig economy and enrolled on the platform. Within weeks of enrolling she was called for a vetting interview and soon after was invited for training. The training conducted by Lynk was primarily focused on soft skills including resource management, communication and time management. The training also included practical aspects of cleaning including vacuuming and the use of different detergents. After the training Mary was placed with Workstyle, a co-working space that provides private office, meeting and events space located within Nairobi.

For the first time in her career Mary has set terms of engagement with her employer. She has a clear scope of work, set working hours and a set wage. Her new job also allows her to have a better work-life balance. She works from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm which allows her to spend more time with her family in the evening. She is contemplating starting a side business which she can manage in the evening after work to generate additional income.

Her new work environment has also changed drastically. She feels that her employer treats her with respect and appreciates her role in the organisation. She has proper equipment, detergent and safety gear which make her feel like a true professional. Being part of the Lynk platform has given Mary a sense of belonging and she appreciates Lynk’s role in professionalizing the cleaning industry.

Lynk has changed the trajectory of Mary’s career – she now has the training and experience of a professional cleaner. Mary hopes to start her own professional cleaning business in the future.

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Through the DFID-funded Kenya Catalytic Jobs Fund programme, Mercy Corps has supported Lynk to commoditise the cleaning services and nannies market segment. Additionally, Lynk is improving the quality of work for domestic workers by upskilling, providing starter kits and formalising the work to ensure job security and favourable terms from employers