Manufaa ambayo kikundi hicho kimefanikiwa kuyapata anatoa funzo muhimu kwa wavujajasho wengine, watunga sera, na yeyote yule mwingine anayetamani kuelewa namna watu wa hali ya chini wanavyoweza kutafuta “maisha mazuri.”
A wide range of informal workers in Dar—daladala operators, bodaboda drivers, street and market traders, and more—are experimenting with joint savings, worker and consumer co-ops, and alternative forms of social protection “from below.”
Will the bodaboda industry continue to witness a growing inequality between new capital ventures and precarious drivers? Or can the government intervene to support a more equitable distribution of benefits, improved livelihoods, and the safety of drivers and the wider public?
Solidarity is a slippery word, particularly in a world of rapid NGO-isation. But if there is to be genuine solidarity with transport workers—either at home or internationally—it must start by knowing the story of “hivi vita,” of “these wars.”
It is high time now that decision-makers recognise drivers’ contributions, appreciate their experience, and respect their ideas.
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