Upwork, formerly known as E-lance Odesk, is the world’s largest platform for freelancers and professionals to collaborate. In a new program set off to empower and bring even greater economic and social opportunity to people around the globe, Upwork has initiated a Social Impact Program that will be run through its network partners from where one may choose to help deserving people build their careers. For Pakistan, the two partners include:
- Women’s Digital League (WDL)
- Empower Pakistan
The third is Tarjama, a UAE based agency.
WDL is owned and powered by Pakistani women who provide digital services to clients. The model is simple; these women work for economic development by mobilizing a dormant workforce of educated and skilled women who face troubles finding work opportunities. Areas of their specialty include accounting, administrative assistance, social media marketing & SEO, content and others.
In a public announcement, Founder WDL, Maria Umar said:
The same platform that helped me start up has taken Women’s Digital League on board as its partner. Everyone who helped getting me to where I am today, THANK YOU. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being with me in whatever capacity. There have been many milestones achieved and many more to come (God willing!) but this will always be the best of them all!
Empower Pakistan specializes in skills such as design, content and web development and focuses on training the youth with necessary skills to help them find opportunities in the global economy.
Read more about the Upwork Social Impact Program and its partners on their website here. In fact, one can also apply to become one of the social impact partners for the program!