The Freelance Workshop organized by Watu Technology was a great success involving key academics working in the area of freelancing. The event that was held on Saturday 4th November 2017 at Watu Technology, allowed for freelancers to interact with people who have grown to be successful writers from across the country. It developed their career growth opportunities through one on one interactions with them. The attendance from both freelancers and hosts provided an atmosphere of interaction. Presentations were printed and given to each participant before the sessions began.
It is well known that freelancing has developed rapidly over recent years and influenced not just in Kenya but across the world too. Freelancing is increasingly a choice that people are making every day that’s because there are more online jobs available and the idea of freelancing as a career is becoming widely accepted. Many Kenyans are born writers that are a fact, not just an observation. We have great writers who know their way with words. In these internet times, there is an increase in the number of people working online in Kenya. Many of these people work online by doing writing jobs online.
Annik Muthoni described a freelancer as one who sells their skill based on an hourly, daily, or monthly or per-article rate and is not tied down by a regular 9-to-5 schedule. Workshops have done much to raise the profile of freelancing, knowledge is most certainly power and the more often we bring together and provide a platform for these discussions to take place, the better. Corporate, magazines and newspapers, and blogging are some types of freelancing. Karen Kandia was specific on blogging and she said, ‘don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that is great for your readers.’ Freelancing is a flexible kind of job that can be done full-time or part-time. One of the hosts Robert Muita narrated a lady who works during the day in the office and during the night she has skype sessions to teach in Kiswahili people who are in the states.
Our participants got to learn so much on freelancing and it will enable them to produce quality as they practice every detailed information they noted. The copies of presentations they took home will be a future reminder of what they learned from the workshop. We are looking forward to holding more workshops and it will be another opportunity for writers to grab what they can use in enhancing their writing skills.