Outsourcing Digital Economy to Dadaab Refugee Camp
Wed, October 14, 2009 A pilot project in African refugee camps may demonstrate how the very poorest people can benefit from the digital economy.
The project for Somali refugees at the Dadaab camps in Kenya have dramatically increased their income using CrowdFlower, a website that allows companies to quickly outsource routine tasks such as transcription and image-tagging to online workers. “We can generate an incredible amount of social impact through this technology,” says Leila Chirayath Janah, founder of Samasource, the San Francisco-based charity behind the project. via New Scientist
Somali refugees wait to get water in Ifo camp. Long lines and difficulty getting ample water is a growing problem in Dadaab due to the growing numbers of Somalis fleeing to Kenya. © UNHCR/E.HocksteinThe refugee camps in Dadaab are in desperate shape. See our story and YouTube video of Angelina Jolie visiting Dadaab on Sept. 12, 2009. Just yesterday, the International Organization for Migration moved more than 13,000 Somali refugees from Dadaab into Kakuma, a three-day journey.
“It is a 1,200 kilometer journey across very difficult roads, very difficult terrain. There are some security issues too in the region of Dadaab, mostly due to shiftas, local bandits,” UN spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy said. “IOM set up the logistic for this operation. We had about 20 different convoys that left Dadaab in mid-August to take people all the way across the country to Kakuma.” via VOA News
Back to paying the workers in Dadaab. CrowdFlower and Samasource have also released GiveWork, an iPhone application that lets users donate their labour: its users complete the same tasks as the Dadaab workers, but the fee for those jobs is paid to the Dadaab team instead. via New Scientist
Women in Dadaab Refugee camp via Flickr’s efrphotography I’m not connecting all the dots here, because the Samasource website and givework charity link focus on men and women in suits. I’m not seeing refugees in Dadaab or the link where you can donate your work, rather than money.
The contribute money link on the Samasource website does help train workers in Dadaab and also there’s a work for women program that trains women in East Africa and Northern Pakistan. Perhaps PR is jumping the gun a bit here. I will find out more information. Anne
More reading: UN’s World Food Programme Moves to Close Centers in Starving Countries Anne
Sustainable Development with Leila C. Janah, CEO of Samasource via 3BL Media
Life goes on for residents of world’s largest refugee camp Earth Times
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