I recently learned of a freelancer platform that supports professionals based in Gaza called Taqat. I learned of the platform from a post on LinkedIn - so I wanted to explore the platform and find out how it all worked.
What is Taqat?
Taqat is a platform that enables professional freelancers based in Gaza to get back into work, as well as helping them to find new clients. There are many parts to Taqat - it goes above and beyond a traditional freelancer platform site like UpWork or Fiverr because it also provides physical coworking spaces - essential when much of Gaza is without electricity or reliable internet access.
Taqat provides freelancers with:
- Technical training to learn and improve your current skills
- Coworking spaces where you can work comfortably, safely where there's reliable internet and electricity
- Networking opportunities to meet like-minded freelancers and potential mentors
- Ongoing events where you can collaborate with other freelancers
Why use Taqat?
Taqat have stated on one of their crowdfunding campaigns that "Gaza's youth don't need handouts - they need opportunities". Hiring talent from the Taqat platform isn't about giving handouts or about charity - it's about giving someone a new opportunity to find meaningful work.
The crowdfunding page goes on to say that before the war, over 30,000 young people in Gaza used to work online - and these jobs were their only reliable sources of income. And then with the war, power and internet access was lost overnight, leaving to contracts and clients lost, and no way to earn a living.
So; you should use Taqat to hire talent to help you in your business as a way to show support for Gaza.
Just some of the many challenges Taqat is addressing
Freelancer skills and services that are available via Taqat
It seems that most skills and services are on offer through the platform - and if you consider there are over 3,000 members you can imagine there's plenty of skills to choose from.
The website allows you to filter by speciality - some of the more popular types are:
- Web Development (379 freelancers)
- Graphic Design (348 freelancers)
- Software Engineers (365 freelancers)
- Digital Marketing (138 freelancers)
How to use Taqat to Hire a Freelancer
The platform is still a work-in-progress and improvements are constantly being made - for example they recently added functionality which enables someone to post a Project - so if you need a specific piece of work to be done, you can describe the project and then other freelancers will be able to see it and get in contact.
Submitting a project can be good when you have a specific task in mind and you don't want to spend time looking for the perfect freelancer - perhaps you have a fixed budget in mind, or just need a smaller one-off task to be completed.
Otherwise you can go and search for specific freelancers, reaching out directly to those that you would like to work with. You can send them a message via WhatsApp and then someone from Taqat will respond to you.
Minimum Fees and Projects on Taqat
There doesn't appear to be any kind of minimum fee or project size on Taqat - but obviously they would prefer if clients would engage in longer term projects where the freelancer can therefore get regular financial support, vs a one-off task.
There doesn't appear to be minimum terms for projects either - it is all very flexible based on what the client needs. This is good for people hiring on the platform but I'd argue it might not be the best option for the freelancers - but there is always this balancing act required (ultimately Taqat don't want to scare off potential clients - they want to encourage everyone to hire through their platform).
How Much Does it Cost and How Does Payment Work?
As mentioned, there's no minimum fees involved here - if you want to hire someone on a monthly basis you could do so from $50 (or potentially less) - but as mentioned you want to be mindful about not taking advantage of any freelancers you chose to work with 🙂
Taqat supports various payment options, again you can choose the options which work best for you. There are direct bank transfers possible to a Taqat bank account in the United Arab Emirates, or Paypal, even a crypto payment option, and other options are possible. Ultimately it depends on what works on you, depending on the country you are based in (some banks might enforce more taxes on payments made, and this will depend on where in the world you are).
It's worth noting here that as sending money to users in Gaza is problematic at present, Taqat has invested in systems to ensure that they can send and receive money without issue. Payments go via the platform to ensure that money ends up in the freelancers hands - and this is a really important reason for Taqat existing.
I'm a Freelancer/Consultant - Can I Hire Someone from Taqat to Help with Support or Overflow Work?
Yes! And I think if you genuinely want to support Gazans then this is a great way any consultants can use their work in a positive way. As long as you are mindful not to take advantage of anyone (eg paying them a fair rate, treating them as a professional, showing compassion and empathy) then you should consider trying to involve them with your work.
Personally if I was to hire someone to assist me with work (for example, supporting with any of the SEO work I complete on behalf of my clients), I'd want to ensure I am paying them a fair rate, and not taking advantage of the difference between rates charged between them and me. At the same time - it needs to make sense (financially) for me to hire someone - considering that there will be time spent liasing with them, sharing work, having check-in calls, and so on.
If you do choose to hire someone to support with your own work then you might want to ensure your clients are aware of the situation (this might be off topic but I wouldn't like to outsource any work without first checking it was ok with my client) - but this shouldn't be an issue if you are clear with your instructions to your hired freelancer, and if you are upfront about this with your own clients.
In Summary - Support Gaza by Using Taqat
Taqat have been clear in their actions; Gaza's youth don't need handouts - they need opportunities. For me this action alone reflects a hugely positive mindset and a big reason to be hopeful, despite all that is taking place. The founders and supports of Taqat believe that people need meaningful work to do. This is giving people the opportunity to live with dignity and with hope. These are powerful things.
If you can do so - I would recommend you try to support some of the talented professionals that are on Taqat - or try posting a project that you need help with.
And if you have no need for either of those things but have been impressed with what Taqat are looking to do, you can also donate to their fundraising campaign here.
