Kenya-Friendly Side Income: Getting Paid to Record Household Chores for AI Training

Last month, I got accepted into a project that pays people to do something they already do every day:

house chores.

No face on camera. No influencer content. No special skills.

Just simple first-person videos of everyday indoor tasks — used to train robotics AI.

The project is called Tarmack Project (Project 215), and contributors are paid $2 per hour of usable recorded footage, with payments made through Wise twice a month.

Screenshot of the onboarding email for Tarmack

What Is Project 215?

Project 215 involves recording short, first-person videos of routine household activities such as:

• washing dishes
• organizing items
• basic cooking preparation
• cleaning surfaces

According to the onboarding email, these videos are used to train an AI/robotics system to better understand how humans perform everyday indoor work.

All recordings are strictly indoors, and the camera angle is designed to capture the task, not personal identity.

This is the kind of video I’m talking about: Cooking.mp4

What the Work Actually Looks Like

To record, you use:

• a mobile phone
• a dedicated recording app provided by the project
• a head mount that holds the phone in a first-person POV position

You wear the mount, press record, and do normal chores as you usually would.

The most important requirement is that your hands stay visible, since the goal is to train robots to learn human movements during tasks.

Pay and Payment Schedule (From Their Email)

Contributors are paid up to $500 per month, based on a maximum submission of 250 hours.

You don’t need to submit anywhere near that amount.

The email clearly states that even 5 hours per month is acceptable.

If you record just 2 hours a day, that’s about 60 hours a month.

At $2 per hour, that comes to $120/month, which is roughly KES 15,000.

Payments are released twice a month through Wise or direct bank transfer. Wise is available in Kenya. Users can send funds directly to M-Pesa wallets and bank accounts, typically on the same working day.

Step 1: The Application Process

The application itself is short. You provide basic details such as:

• name
• city and country
• email and phone number
• LinkedIn profile
• resume (optional)

Click here to apply

After submitting, I received an email invite almost immediately to complete a short AI-led interview.

Step 2: What the Interview Was Like

The interview wasn’t technical, it was mostly a practical screening.

Here are the main questions I was asked:

1. Are you familiar with recording videos on your phone?

I explained that I’m comfortable recording videos and understand basic quality requirements such as lighting and stability.

2. What phone do you use, and does it support zoom-out?

I shared that I use a Redmi Note 11 with good camera quality. Zoom-out matters because the project requires a wider POV view.

3. Are you comfortable recording indoor household chores?

Yes — the tasks are simple, everyday activities done at home.

4. Are you comfortable wearing a head mount?

I confirmed that I was.

5. Can you purchase the head mount in your country?

They asked if I had access to online or local accessory shops, which I do.

6. How many hours can you realistically contribute?

I shared that I could contribute a few hours per day, depending on my schedule.

7. How do you handle technical issues?

They wanted to know how I deal with problems like storage limits or phone freezing.

I explained that I troubleshoot by checking memory, stabilising the phone, and restarting when needed.

8. How do you manage time on freelance work?

The final question was about discipline and consistency, and I explained that I plan tasks and work with structure.

Step 3: Onboarding After Acceptance

Once selected, onboarding looks like this:

Download the Recording App (Android Only)

Important notes:

• Only Android is supported right now
• The app is not on Google Play Store yet (confidentiality reasons)
• You install it directly and enter an organisation code

Purchase a Head Mount (Reimbursed)

The project requires a head mount for consistent POV footage. I purchased mine on Aliexpress since I couldn’t find one locally. It arrived in Kenya within 2 weeks. Here is the link.

They reimburse $10 after you submit at least 5 hours of videos.

An image of a headmount

Follow Video Quality Guidelines

They provide examples of good vs bad recordings.

Good videos are:

• steady
• correct POV
• clear task execution

Bad videos include shaky footage, poor lighting, or hands not visible.

Upload Your Videos

The app saves recordings in 2-minute chunks.

Uploads work best on Wi-Fi, but mobile data uploads can be enabled inside settings.

Referral Program (Optional)

They recently introduced a referral program:

• Contributors earn $2/hour
• Referrers earn $1/hour from the hours recorded by people they refer

If you want to apply, here is my referral link:

If you prefer applying without a referral, that’s completely fine as well.

Final Thoughts

This is not a full-time job replacement.

But as a flexible side income, especially in Kenya, it can be useful if you’re already doing household tasks and want something remote while job hunting.

If you have questions about onboarding or the interview process, feel free to reach out.