I’ve been working from home for 8 years now

Teresios Bundi is an online writer and trainer. He features for Upwork, an online site that connects freelancers from all over the world with potential employers so that they can work together.

In the website, you can find virtual assistant services, graphic designing, accounting, caricatures, and many other works of art.

But he got into this career only by accident. Eight years ago, Teresios was a cash-strapped second year student of public health at Kenyatta University whose only claim to glory was the non-paying internship position he held at a local company.

He was living with a friend at that time, and he had to walk the whole distance from his friend’s house to his workplace every day. Before long, this routine began wearing him down. He began searching for a way out.

One day, he held a Sh100 note in his hand and started wondering whether to buy data bundles or to save the money until the next day.

He then remembered a conversation he had overheard among his classmates about the possibilities of earning money online. He started considering this option.

“I had a cheap Android phone and I went to the browser and typed “How to make money online”. So many options and suggestions came up, but I decided to try online writing. I signed up on one of the sites and contacted some of the potential employers,” he shares.

EXPERTS' BADGE

During his lunch hour breaks at work, he started using the free WI-FI to search for more jobs. Within one week, he had one. A client was willing to pay him Sh500 for an article.

Within a few weeks, he got a major breakthrough. Someone contracted him to post articles on social media for Sh9,000 a month. “That was an elaborate confirmation that I could earn a living by working online!”

He has so far completed 300 writing projects, and this has earned him the highly coveted experts' badge.

“In this job, there are three levels – entry, intermediate and experts. The higher up the chain you are the more job opportunities you attract, and the higher you get to earn,” he explains.

The ensuing Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many business activities and also interrupted learning nationwide. Many are already struggling to put food on the table, while others are still getting accustomed to their new status as home workers.

But for Bundi, nothing much has changed. He has worked from home for more than half a decade. In fact, it was just two months ago when he got a full time job as an online writing trainer.

THE BASICS

He is also a board member of the Kenya Online Writers Association, and the programmes manager at Ajira Digital. He is also one of the founding members of Online Professional Workers Association of Kenya

“Immediately after I graduated in 2015, I enrolled for a master's degree in public health. Interestingly, I have never worked in that field. My life is built around online writing,” he explains.

“Before I got the new job in February, I used to spend my days binding and issuing assignments to the five writers I work with. Some of them are new mothers working from home. But now I do that only on part time basis,” he shares.

The 28-year-old says that to establish a successful career online, one only needs an internet-enabled device and internet connectivity.

“You should also be discerning because some of the online opportunities are fake. If it promises quick returns without clearly outlining what efforts you will need to put in, think again. You might end up losing your hard earned money,” he shares.

Online writing, he says, involves researching, writing articles and editing. “This is why my academic background comes in. Whenever I have an assignment on public health, I excel because I am knowledgeable in that field. Through online writing, I have gained a lot of information in various fields. I might be working on an article about pets today, and researching about carpentry or fruits the next day.

“I once worked on a story about Mastitis and then on visiting my grandmother a few days later, she mentioned that her cow was sickly. I knew immediately that the cow had Mastitis because the information about the disease was still fresh in my mind. The veterinary doctor eventually confirmed my suspicions,” he shares.

DEVELOP AN EDGE

Last year, Bundi was a speaker at a conference on digital economy that was held in South Africa.

“My speech was centred on peer mentorship because that is exactly what I do. I train individuals on how to find jobs online, and I also give them an opportunity to work with me as they look for those jobs,” he says.

Every month, Bundi takes home at least Sh100,000 from working online, but there is a price.

“I enjoy working online because I earn an income from it, but also because I get to fix my own work schedule and acquire immense knowledge while at it. However, this job requires a lot of discipline and persistence. There are so many freelancers who are looking for those same opportunities. To get an edge over them, you need to develop your profile, and this takes time.

“Also, to get high ratings on your profile, you need to deliver well-researched articles and ensure that you always beat your deadlines, and cultivate good interpersonal skills because you will be required to work with clients from different parts of the world.

“There are not enough jobs for all of us, but the internet has made it possible for more people to earn money online. And if you ask me, the opportunities are limitless.”

Authors note: You can find freelance work online on the following sites: Upwork, Guru, Freelancer, Fiverr, People per Hour, OnSite, Craigslist, Transcribe.com and Mechanical Turk and Toptal.