Kyle
There’s a startup in Baltimore called Njorku and what they are doing is actually very exciting. Co-founder Chika Uwazie and her team are connecting people in Africa with jobs in Africa.
We’ve heard time and time again that more and more people in Africa are taking to mobile phones and smartphones because they can’t afford computers and internet access in the home. When we ran this story we actually found out that hundreds of millions of people live off the grid and walk miles to charge their phones. So in continents like Africa mobile is a lifeline.
That’s why Uwazie and her team have developed a job site and aggregator that delivers the information to African people via their mobile device. Employers get access to NJorku’s database where they can upload jobs and then correspond with candidates via SMS/Text messages on their phones.
The service is available in Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Egypt and Ghana.
Job seekers can also do everything most typical full job websites allow you to do, via mobile whether they are on a smart phone or feature phone. NJorku has made it easy for job seekers to upload their resumes and show interest in available jobs with text messaging.
With such an awesome idea we had to take a few moments and talk with Uwazie. The interview is after the break
What is Njorku
Njorku is a data job aggregator coupled with mobile delivery. Job seekers are able to come to one place to look for jobs in seven countries in Africa which include Cameroon, Nigiera, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Egypt, and Ghana. Jobseekers can browse our website for jobs, upload their CV for employers, or create a job alert via sms and email. We also have a platform for employers to use which gives them access to our CV database and the ability to reach out the candidates through sms alert.
We have 5 members who are part of the founding team. I am based in the Washington DC/Baltimore area. My background is human capital and social media. I am the hustler of the team so I contribute my knowledge in human capital to build a great platform, but as well focus on marketing and new relationships. Churchill Mambe who is based in Cameroon is the current CEO of AfroVisioN Group, a Buea-based web design and development firm. He is a well known technology expert in Africa and has created two social networks named Naijaborn and Cameroonborn before he launched Njorku. Our second founder is Bertrand Kima who is based in the Baltimore area. He founded Kimbert solutions which is a technology consulting firm. He is what we call the negotiator that puts deals together for us to form new partnerships for Njorku. Then we have Segun Gontran and Edot Blaise who are both web developers for Njorku who are both based in Cameroon.
What problem does Njorku solve?
We solve two main problems. The first problem is that most Africans have limited access to the internet. They do not have the luxury of surfing the web for hours. Most Africans that do access the web are either at an internet cafe or using mobile phones. We provided a solution where users can go to one website to look at several jobs across different websites and countries. We also kept in mind that most Africans do not use smart phones and this is why we created a platform that involves sms technology. Secondly many employers have a hard time finding good candidates in a timely manner. Njorku has created a way for employers to search for candidates through our CV database. They also are able to reach candidates easier by sending sms alerts to apply to their jobs.
Who is your target user?
Our target users are Africans looking for a wide opportunity of jobs including administration jobs, technology jobs, finance, and other areas. We also have a growing base in the US of people who would be considered Diasporans looking to go back to Africa, as well as expats looking for work in Africa.
Our systematic approach to problem solving using technology and knowledge of our people. Njorku is made for Africans by Africans. We understand more than anyone the challenges Africans face and how to use technology to solve them.
Yes it can be difficult because the internet in Africa at times can be slow or just not working. This is why funding is imperative in order to keep up with these realities we face in Africa. We have been successful in not hitting any major snags in our first year of operations and we do have people on the ground who do bulk of the coding and web design for us in Cameroon. We are also in constant communication between our team in Cameroon and the team in Baltimore so we never miss a beat.
I definitely have tried not to pull the wooest me act, but it definitely is challenging simply because I do not see a lot of black females out there in the tech space. Quite often when I go to an event I am the only black female in the room or one out a handful. I wish I could say because I am a minority the few other black women out there who are successful entrepreneurs are reaching out to me with open arms, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Luckily I have encountered a few mentors who have been more than willing to give me great insight on the startup world.
Of course funding is a bit more challenging in that I do not have an extensive network of people in my circle who know angel investors or those that in the venture capital space. I see funding as an old boys club where typically most people have access to investors through who they know. Since this is not really the case for our team we have had to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and form our own connections from the ground up. Despite going up an uphill battle I have been able to be in contact with a few people in Silicon Valley and other regions who are interested in funding in Njorku. They see past the fact that I am a woman or black and just see the value that Njorku can offer to Africans looking for employment.
In regards to be taken seriously, I do not feel that people outright are not taking me seriously but at times I have kind of sensed that vibe. I believe that because my startup is dealing with Africa which is still an unknown region for many people, they simply do not understand the need for Njorku. I hope as Njorku grows I can begin to enlighten people on other black women such as myself doing great things in the tech space.
Convesely do you have any mentors that you care to share that have either inspired you or supported you as an entrepreneur and or as a startup founder?
Yes, surprisingly my father is one. Steve Uwazie was the first country manager for IBM Nigeria and Kenya. He has gone on to run his own technology company and he always gives me great advice. He has shown me that despite all the difficulties one faces in running a business in Africa that it is more than possible to run your own successful company.
Secondly Christine Celise who is founder of diversi-tech, is simply a great woman. She has definitely given me answers to some of the hard questions I ask myself, and she has loads of great resources that I have been able to take advantage of. I also appreciate her skill to connect people together and through her group Diversitech that holds monthly meetings in Washington DC and Baltimore I have been able to connect with other minorities in the startup scene.
The Baltimore startup scene is great because there are just so many activities to go to. I can not even keep up with all the networking opportunities. There are great events such as Baltimore tech breakfast. We recently did a demo at the Baltimore Tech Cocktail Mixer. There will be a lean startup Meet Up group starting this month which is another chance to mingle with fellow startup entrepreneurs. Also there are a lot of resources in regards to funding, it is just finding the right one you can connect with.
Honestly since I entered college I have always told myself by 25 I will work for myself. I just never seen myself as an employee for the rest of my life. I know the path of being an entrepreneur is far from easy but I rather just put my energy into building a business that has risk than taking the safe route of 9 to 5. I enjoy the challenges of being an entrepreneur and I want to be able to establish a company that leaves a legacy after I am gone.
What’s next on your Njorku plate?
There is actually a lot of exciting developments taking place for Njorku. Over the next three months we will slowly start expanding to Francophne countries in Africa and translate our website for a french version. We have also secured a partnership with a mobile expert in order to get solid mobile apps that will work for a variety of platforms including phones pertinent to Africa such as Nokia. Right now we are working on the user experience to increase the engagement for our users, and offer more features for employers that use Njorku.
Linkage
Check out Njorku here at their website
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