A flexible job for a migrant worker

In the past, Larry Salas sold sweets on public busses, as well as working other informal jobs. Today, the 30-year-old migrant from Venezuela works as a bike courier for the food delivery service "Rappi"  in Bogotá – a job that wouldn't exist without the Internet.

"In my private life I just use two apps –Facebook and WhatsApp – to communicate with my friends. The good thing is that you can use them even without having mobile data. Nevertheless, I try to never run out of data, because I need my smartphone mainly for work. The 4GB that are included in my monthly plan are normally enough, because I use a Wi-Fi connection whenever possible. Without mobile Internet, I couldn't do what I'm doing. I work as a bike courier for Rappi, a company that has established itself very quickly in Bogotá. I really like this job because you are your own boss. When I want to work, I just check the notifications for new orders on my phone. You always have to be careful that no one steals your phone, but I have been lucky. It's much safer here than in Venezuela, my home country, which I left two years ago because of the difficult situation there."

The #speakup barometer is a DW Akademie project that examines the connection between digital participation, freedom of expression and access to information. Learn more at www.dw.com/barometer