Kenyan tech workers mourn Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a TikTok content moderator who died after two years without returning home to Nigeria. The cause of her death is unclear, and concerns regarding poor working conditions in the content moderation industry have resurfaced. Teleperformance Kenya has denied claims of denying leave, but the incident highlights significant issues affecting employees in this sector.
Technology workers in Kenya recently gathered to honor their colleague, Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a Nigerian content moderator for TikTok, who passed away under troubling circumstances. She was reportedly unable to return home to Nigeria for two years prior to her death, which was discovered three days after she had passed. Her colleagues indicated that she experienced fatigue and expressed a strong desire to return home.
The cause of Olubunmi’s death remains unclear, and requests for comments from Teleperformance Kenya have gone unanswered. In a statement, the company dismissed allegations that Olubunmi was denied leave, calling such claims “baseless and untrue.” This incident has sparked discussions among content moderators in Kenya regarding their working conditions, which they claim involve low pay, insufficient mental health support, and excessive hours.
Several former Facebook content moderators have raised similar concerns, claiming mistreatment and substandard work conditions through Samasource, a Kenya-based subcontractor. During the vigil for Olubunmi, attendees voiced that her death may be linked to these poor working conditions. A friend noted that many Nigerian employees at Teleperformance had been without work permits for two years, preventing them from utilizing their annual return ticket benefit.
After her body was discovered, Olubunmi’s family was informed, and her brother received an email from Teleperformance detailing her death and providing contacts for local authorities regarding investigation and burial. The family faces challenges in repatriating her body and is contemplating requesting assistance from her church in Nairobi for burial arrangements.
The tragic passing of Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi sheds light on the challenging working conditions faced by content moderators in Kenya, particularly those employed by subcontracted firms. The ongoing issues of inadequate support, long hours, and emotional distress require urgent attention to ensure the welfare and rights of these workers. These challenges must be addressed to prevent further tragedies and to support the mental health and well-being of content moderators.
Original Source: www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
