麻豆社

If a lazy student in London or New York goes online to pay somebody to do their essay, the chances are the work will actually end up being done by somebody in Kenya.

So who are the African ghost writers who are paid to help wealthy foreigners fake their way to unearned success, and what do they think about what they do?

Kenya has become a key hub in the international cheating industry, because it is an English-speaking country with a good education system, but where there are often limited economic opportunities, particularly for younger people.

Thousands of people are making a living supplying faked assignments commissioned by unethical students in other countries, through websites mainly based in the US and Eastern Europe. Many of those employed to do this work are students themselves.

Although essay selling offers some a route out of poverty, universities say it is increasingly undermining the integrity of education around the world. And there are calls, even from within Kenya, for action against this booming online industry.

Presenter: Reha Kansara

Producer: Michael Kaloki

Editor: Ed Main
Photo: Graphic of hand writing an essay while another hand takes it and offers cash

Photo credit: 麻豆社