When I first read about Leila Chirayath Janah and Samasource in Forbes Magazine, I was intrigued. Imagine creating jobs in countries riddled with poverty, and replacing conventional aid with opportunity, skill sets and a virtual foundation. Imagine doing this in order to build the beginnings of a solid infrastructure, and, in turn, a self sustainable community and most importantly, a future for otherwise impoverished countries. Leila Janah imagined this and created this non-profit.
Samasource’s mission is to “bring dignified, computer-based work to women, youth, and refugees living in poverty… [and] connect people living in poverty to work via the Internet.” (Source)
While the dialogue concerning the idea and practicality of outsourcing jobs to other countries has essentially included much frustration from US-based clients, it also has perpetuated some ignorance on our part. With a little patience and information, it seems these efforts can also yield more benefits and results, than the aid and handouts we tend to invest more energy in.
There are several videos on the Samasource website which offer more insight and background to the project and the thought process behind the birth of the organization and projects.
Here is one of them:
(Source: Samasource YouTube Channel)
For more information on the organization and/or how you can get involved, please refer to their website:
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CelebrityOptimist 