Yalla Erbil

Business linkages between customers and service provider

Location: Iraq

Host: Oxfam

Invested: $76,500

Needed: $75,000

In Iraq, it’s difficult for customers and service providers to connect as many do not know how to access the job market. The COVID-19 made this challenge even greater, which increases the high unemployment rate.

The Challenge

The global pandemic of COVID-19 placed extra strain on the local skilled labor job market as many lost their jobs. This meant that many were unable to provide for their families. Additionally, the city of Erbil is seeing an increase of Iraqi nationals and ex-pats moving into the area, yet there is a shortage of trusted skilled workers to perform needed services for these new households.

The Solution

Yalla Erbil is a mobile application that links service providers and skilled workers in the city of Erbil with customers in need of their services. In doing so, a gap is bridged in market access and provides easy access to needed services and work opportunities for the service providers. The creativeness of this cellphone-based innovation is around sustainability - finding new attractive and unconventional ways to attract customers as their first choice when in need of a service. Yalla Erbil will be THE place for skilled workers to search for work, and customers to connect with them.