Uganda, April 28 -- Sam has a boss at work. Call him David. The boss gives him a salary but in the form of upkeep, house rent, and any other small contingencies. David pays Sam's rent and utilities directly to the landlord. He also buys him groceries on a weekly. If Sam needs some money to hang around with his boys, David will provide it.

It has been going well for both for about a year now, but Sam is beginning to feel uneasy about the whole arrangement. That is how he ended up calling me for a conversation: "I have no job contract with this guy. He does not pay my NSSF, I cannot sue him. I am at his beck and call, yet I have a life outside of his work. He sends me on errands that are personal to him like taking his car for a weekend wa...