Impact

Labellers’ stories

We do not publish photographs of the people who work at Rungwell. We asked each of them for an object instead.

At sea you check the same gauges every watch, and you learn that the boring check is the one that matters. Nobody told me that was a qualification. Here it is.

Arnel Gatdula

Quality reviewer, Manila

My lola paid me per collar when I was fourteen. She said: do it right once, so you do not have to do it twice. I say the same thing to new labellers.

Kristine Malabanan

Senior labeller, Manila

In the market you learn to count fast. Here I learned to count carefully. The accountancy exams want both.

Mercy Nyabuto

Senior labeller, Nairobi

Most jobs I applied for had a telephone in them somewhere. This one has a pen tablet, and I have always been good with a pen.

Paolo Mangubat

Labeller, Manila

Machines are learning Somali from people like me. I want them to learn it properly, with the proverbs.

Halima Abdullahi

Labeller, Rungwell at Home, Nairobi

Training a cohort is like coaching under-twelves. Nobody listens on the first day. By the third week they are correcting each other, and that is when you know.

Kevin Musyoka

Trainer, Nairobi

Stories are published with the agreement of the people in them, who may withdraw them at any time.