Perspectives from 2020

As a Systems Specialist at Kuja Kuja, I ensure we have systems that help our operations run smoothly and provide worker comfort within our Global Team. I've had the privilege to profoundly interact with each individual in our organization for the last two years by spending weeks and months embedded in the field teams in East Africa, and virtually with our team in Latin America, learning about our operations, multicultural team members' backgrounds, and ways of life, which has been greatly important in making sure that all our work practices are dignified and respectful to the varied cultures and beliefs represented in our team.

Being in the field can be a rollercoaster of emotions, experiencing first hand the challenges faced not only the communities but by our field teams as they traverse the settlements and camps while collecting customer insights, from harsh weather, to complex community dynamics, to internet and connectivity. These experiences shape the way we prototype our operational systems and tools, making our teams' comfort a priority to ensure that they are equipped and motivated to face each day with a genuine smile.

Change is inevitable, however, and as COVID spread across the world, Kuja Kuja started preparing to work remotely. By April 2020 all our teams were required to work from home. As a result, most of  the prototypes that we had been testing  were scaled up and released as active customer engagement platforms, seeing us shift from our then norm of in-person data collection, to include remote data collection via phone calls, toll free numbers, low bandwidth webforms, and the Kuja Kuja Chatbot (named 'Sunny'), available on WhatsApp and Facebook.

Though we have been adjusting to the dynamics of working remotely, we've continued to grow, experiencing impressive tech acceleration in our operations. Teams and customers are adapting to our new ways of operation, and we are slowly but surely settling in. We shall continue designing for change and asking ourselves as many "what ifs?" as we possibly can, keeping our innovation hats on and maintaining the curiosity that drives us to enjoy testing new prototypes.

It hasn't been easy working from home; deep down inside I miss traveling to the field, for I profusely long to see my colleagues, to share in their laughter, warm smiles, stories, and the physical presence of each of them. I am truly grateful that I have had the blessing of working in safety alongside extremely amazing colleagues, and for all that I have around and within me, I seek to continue being curious and inquisitive even as we prepare for another year.

Happy Holiday season to all those celebrating!