According to James, many people working in the arts see the creative industries as a route to both professional and personal prosperity. James is a musician and producer in Nairobi, driven by a lifelong love of music and a passion to make it his career.
Having spent his childhood immersing himself in music and after years of diligent practice, James is now a multi-instrumentalist. More recently, through self-directed learning, James has ventured into music production too, hoping to one day lead a fully-fledged production label that can support other musicians on their journey.
Operating his recording studio from home due to financial constraints, and despite facing numerous challenges along the way, James remains steadfast in his love for music, recognising its ability to provide solace amidst life’s struggles.
In a landscape where governmental support for the creative economy is lacking, James also manages a phone and computer repair business whilst remaining focused on his ultimate goal of transitioning to a career solely dedicated to music.
The importance of the informal economy in Kenya cannot be overstated; it accounts for 24% of Kenya’s GDP and also employs five times more workers than the formal economy.
TRANSFORM has been working to understand the current realities and future possibilities for the millions of entrepreneurial Kenyans who hustle to sustain livelihoods across the informal economy (read more about the context of the work here).
Brink, Procol Africa, Busara, Laterite, Ideas Unplugged, and TRANSFORM have collaborated throughout to deliver this work, alongside hundreds of ecosystem actors and informal economy entrepreneurs.
These blogs offer an insight into the lives of some informal workers we spoke to over the course of the project, told through images.
