Development and
Cooperation

Digital monthly 5/2025

Working hard for a better life

Informal sector

“Most of us feel that teaching is our calling”

Julia is a teacher in Kakuma, one of the largest refugee camps in the world, in northern Kenya. The South Sudanese grew up in the camp. Now she works in overcrowded classrooms with poor pay and without formal labour protection. She spoke to Alba Nakuwa.

Labour and employment

Facts and figures: the world of work today

Labour law, social security, informal employment and migration: key facts and figures on labour and employment.

Labour migration

What it’s like to move from Africa to the Gulf States for work

Migrant labourers make up the majority of the working population in the Gulf States. More and more workers are coming to Riyadh, Doha or Dubai from Africa. We spoke with two people who left Kenya for the Gulf.

More Articles

Informal sector

“On a bad day, my earnings are just enough to pay my boss”

Baker rides a motorcycle taxi in Kampala. He has to pay commission on his earnings because the bike doesn’t belong to him – but given the unemployment rate in Uganda, he’s happy to have a job at all. He spoke to Ronald Ssegujja Ssekandi.

Content moderation

Sorting out human horror for less than two dollars an hour

In Kenya, 185 former content moderators are currently suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – and its outsourcing company Sama. They accuse them of violating workers' rights. Many of those affected are severely traumatised.

Informal sector

“I just want my son to study well and then live a better life than I do”

Reba is a domestic worker in Kolkata. She uses the money she earns to pay off debts she had to take on when her husband was seriously ill and to pay for private tutoring for her son so that things will be better for him. She spoke to Roli Mahajan.

Our view

What decent work is all about

Worldwide, people in precarious jobs are fighting for a better life. Their stories underscore the importance of fair working conditions – and international accountability.

Technology

How AI exploits

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often seen as a driver of innovation and progress. However, behind these promised benefits lies a reality of exploitation, especially in Africa.

Sustainable supply chains

“The law would be gutted before it even came into force”

Can a European law improve working conditions in EU supply countries? The 2024 Supply Chain Act was created to do just that. But now the EU Commission is planning to weaken it – a concession to business lobbyists, says Armin Paasch of Misereor in an inter

Forced labour

Improving working conditions in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry

For a long time, the Uzbek state forced both adults and children to pick cotton. A boycott and international pressure led to meaningful reforms, improving the workers’ situation. Nevertheless, labour rights continue to be inconsistently implemented, and t