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Our Mission is to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth, by developing and delivering mobile phone services that give low-income communities the information they need to improve their lives.
Our Vision is a developing world where job-seekers can find work easily and quickly, through better phone-based access to labour market information. A developing world where families in need can boost their standard of living, thanks to better information about aid and social services.
The Problem
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The Potential
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The Solution: Souktel
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Across the developing world, no good way for communities to get information about jobs and emergency aid. Low Internet access. Few government resources. Limited social networks.
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Mobile phone use is booming, especially in low-income countries: In Kenya, cell phone ownership has risen by 160% in the past two years. In Palestine, 80% of youth own mobiles. In Bangladesh there are 30 mobile owners for each web user.
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Souktel is a cell phone-based service that uses SMS and voice-menu technology to link young people with jobs and connect aid agencies with people who need help. Founded by Palestinian, Canadian and American graduate fellows at Harvard University and M.I.T. , Souktel has been changing lives across the developing world since 2006.
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Why Use Mobile?
1. Save Time
- No more long phone calls. Send news and information instantly to thousands of people.
- No need to wait for mail and packages. SMS surveys put an end to paper forms.
2. Save Money
- Cut your phone bills in half: Send thousands of SMS messages for a fraction of phone call costs.
- Put an end to expensive flyer printing, newspaper ads, or radio campaigns.
3. Reach More People
- Get information to/from the majority of people who don’t use Internet or “land line” phones
- Reach out to rural communities that lack access and infrastructure.
- Send news quickly across crisis zones.
- Contact thousands of people without needing to use a computer.
4. Empower Women
- Create new, safe ways for women to connect with male and female peers.
- Set up secure women-only messaging services and user communities.
Why Use Souktel?
1. Software Access Anywhere, Any Time
- Log on to your system from any computer with Internet: Access JobMatch and AidLink from multiple sites at the same time. Manage all your campaigns directly.
- Or, manage your system from any mobile phone, through simple SMS commands. No Internet needed!
2. Fully Customized, Not “One Size Fits All”
- Developer teams work directly with you to build software that meets your exact needs: Choose your language, layout, and features. Integrate the system with your own website or database.
- Souktel trainers create custom user manuals for staff and community members. We give you customized training on system management.
3. Full Technical Support: No IT Experience Needed
- Souktel hosts your AidLink/JobMatch system on dedicated servers in the US. Or we install the software on your own servers.
- Souktel IT staff are available 7 days a week to resolve technical support issues. With our staff ready to assist, your staff don’t need any specific IT training or experience.
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