Samasource

Samasource: Give Work.
We bring dignified, computer-based work to women, youth and refugees living in poverty.

Samasource derives its name from the Sanskrit word sama, which means “equal”. Our mission is to reduce poverty by connecting people to dignified, computer-based work. We empower the world's untapped talent - from refugees in Kenya to women in rural Pakistan - to deliver quality internet-based services, such as data entry and basic programming. Our clients range from low-income entrepreneurs in New Jersey to nonprofits and start-ups in the Silicon Valley.

Our model consists of three steps. First, we screen and select partners who employ local people to provide services, by relying on stringent social impact and quality criteria that verify our partners' technical abilities and commitment to social responsibility. Most of our partners are located in the poorest countries in the world, where skilled workers face unemployment rates of up to 70 percent. Next, we provide our partners with service-specific training and prepare them to further train their own staff using live sample projects and web-based tools. Finally, we market our partners' services to paying clients through a website and sales team based in San Francisco.

Samasource is a 501(c)(3) non-profit social business. Our management team and global advisory board have over forty years of experience working in technology, remote work, and social and economic development for leading institutions such as the Clinton Foundation, Kiva.org, the Ford Foundation and the World Bank. Thus far, with an investment of only $35,000 from donors and an all-volunteer staff, Samasource has found more than $160,000 in projects for 18 small businesses, nonprofit training centers, and rural data centers that provide dignified jobs to more than 500 marginalized individuals in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, and Pakistan.

For more information, please visit our website at www.samasource.org or our blog at blog.samasource.org. Feel free to email us at info@samasource.org.

• Ian Fisk wrote (2 years ago):

  The William James Foundation has announced 8 competitions that together provide $100,000 in cash and in kind support for sustainable entrepreneurs. Entrants can be of any age or from anywhere in the world. First round deadline is December 4th. Details at: www.williamjamesfoundation.org/press.

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