Souktel, an SMS service based in the Middle East and East Africa, is all about connections. The service, launched in 2006, uses SMS to connect users to everything from jobs and internships to humanitarian aid and youth leadership programs.
The name comes from "souk," the Arabic word for "marketplace," and "tel," or "telephone. Although at least 80 percent of people in Palestine have access to mobile phones, most people have Internet access only in cafés or public places, said Jacob Korenblum, co-founder of Souktel. "Getting information about medical care, jobs, and food bank services can be difficult," he said. And even at Internet cafes, Korenblum said that many people, especially women, lack access to these services. "We wanted to develop a very simple service," he said. "That's how Souktel started."
Korenblum who is Canadian, said that although he has been working in the aid sector since 2000, his personal interest in Palestine began in 2005. "I came to the West Bank to work for an NGO. The main things I realized was that there wasn't so much a lack of aid, but rather a lack of good ways to find out about it." Currently, Souktel is run by a team of six people, four of whom are Palestinian.
Souktel is a combination of two services -- JobMatch and AidLink. JobMatch is an SMS service that connects people seeking jobs with employers. Job seekers can register via SMS with Souktel, and then, through a series of text messages, enter details about themselves into the system. These include location, skills, career interests, and level of education. Whenever the job seeker is looking for a job, he/she can text "match me" to Souktel to receive an instant list of jobs that matches the resume that is already stored in the Souktel system. The job listings include phone numbers so that the job seeker can call potential employers to set up an interview.
Korenblum said that at least 2,000 people use the service each month and the service has about 8,000 total users. In the past year, JobMatch has connected about 500 people with jobs. Users tend to be between the ages of 18 and 25, and the system recently expanded to include internships and volunteer opportunities. In June, about 170 people found jobs using Souktel, but the service’s success is partially reliant on the economy.
“At the end of the day, we're an information service, so we're at the mercy of whatever the labor market is doing,” Korenblum said.
AidLink tends to attract older users, between the ages of 25 and 50. The service aims to connect humanitarian agencies with people who are looking for aid. Humanitarian organizations or agencies can create mailing lists, and then send out SMS alerts to people when aid is available. Users can manage the entire system from a mobile phone or the web, and the system is compatible with even basic cell phones.
For example, a sample message on the Souktel website reads, "Emergency food baskets ready for all new mothers in North and Central Region. Come to main mosque at 3 pm on Tue, with your ID card. Call Suha at 0599-221667 if need more info." The agencies can target the messages so that only members of certain demographics or in specific geographical areas receive the messages. Aid agencies can use the service to conduct surveys as well. Korenblum said that about 30 aid agencies currently use AidLink, and that the aid agencies reach over 15,000 people combined.
One of the challenges that Souktel has faced, said Korenblum, is promoting SMS as a viable way to find a job. "People use SMS socially, they don't use it as a resource. There's a lot of skepticism at the start," he said. "We have to tell people that we don't get you the job, we get you the information about the job." He said it was initially hard to get employers to understand that Souktel's system was a good way to find employees, but that this is no longer a problem. "Now employers come to us, so we don't have to go out and find them," he said.
Souktel's popularity has grown largely through word of mouth. "All of our marketing is grassroots and viral," Korenblum said. "That may change, but so far that's the way that Palestinian society works." Some of Souktel's larger clients also market the service. According to Korenblum, Souktel is largely self-sustaining. Aid agencies and employers pay a user fee that helps to cover basic costs. He said that both have found the fee to be more than worthwhile. "Even by paying us a user fee aid agencies are cutting down on six phone calls," he said. "They are increasing scope and decreasing the amount of time they spend on outreach." Although signing up is free, job seekers also pay the service eight cents for each message that they receive. Souktel works on all mobile phone networks in the area.
Earlier this year, Souktel launched services in the Iraq and Somaliland. In the future, Korenblum hopes that Souktel continues to grow, and could be used to connect people not only with jobs, but with educational programs or health and social services. "SMS is pervasive,” he said. “It is also by far the most cost-effective way for people to get the information they need." He also hopes to continue to share Souktel’s platform. “We've been struggling with it for three years now, and we've arrived at something that works,” he said. “We want to save someone else time in trying to develop it, so they have something that is useful for them.”
Souktel Locations
Souktel, an SMS service based in the Middle East and East Africa, is all about connections. The service, launched in 2006, uses SMS to connect users to everything from jobs and internships to humanitarian aid and youth leadership programs.
The name comes from "souk," the Arabic word for "marketplace," and "tel," or "telephone. Although at least 80 percent of people in Palestine have access to mobile phones, most people have Internet access only in cafés or public places, said Jacob Korenblum, co-founder of Souktel. "Getting information about medical care, jobs, and food bank services can be difficult," he said. And even at Internet cafes, Korenblum said that many people, especially women, lack access to these services. "We wanted to develop a very simple service," he said. "That's how Souktel started."
Korenblum who is Canadian, said that although he has been working in the aid sector since 2000, his personal interest in Palestine began in 2005. "I came to the West Bank to work for an NGO. The main things I realized was that there wasn't so much a lack of aid, but rather a lack of good ways to find out about it." Currently, Souktel is run by a team of six people, four of whom are Palestinian.
Souktel is a combination of two services -- JobMatch and AidLink. JobMatch is an SMS service that connects people seeking jobs with employers. Job seekers can register via SMS with Souktel, and then, through a series of text messages, enter details about themselves into the system. These include location, skills, career interests, and level of education. Whenever the job seeker is looking for a job, he/she can text "match me" to Souktel to receive an instant list of jobs that matches the resume that is already stored in the Souktel system. The job listings include phone numbers so that the job seeker can call potential employers to set up an interview.
Korenblum said that at least 2,000 people use the service each month and the service has about 8,000 total users. In the past year, JobMatch has connected about 500 people with jobs. Users tend to be between the ages of 18 and 25, and the system recently expanded to include internships and volunteer opportunities. In June, about 170 people found jobs using Souktel, but the service’s success is partially reliant on the economy.
“At the end of the day, we're an information service, so we're at the mercy of whatever the labor market is doing,” Korenblum said.
AidLink tends to attract older users, between the ages of 25 and 50. The service aims to connect humanitarian agencies with people who are looking for aid. Humanitarian organizations or agencies can create mailing lists, and then send out SMS alerts to people when aid is available. Users can manage the entire system from a mobile phone or the web, and the system is compatible with even basic cell phones.
For example, a sample message on the Souktel website reads, "Emergency food baskets ready for all new mothers in North and Central Region. Come to main mosque at 3 pm on Tue, with your ID card. Call Suha at 0599-221667 if need more info." The agencies can target the messages so that only members of certain demographics or in specific geographical areas receive the messages. Aid agencies can use the service to conduct surveys as well. Korenblum said that about 30 aid agencies currently use AidLink, and that the aid agencies reach over 15,000 people combined.
One of the challenges that Souktel has faced, said Korenblum, is promoting SMS as a viable way to find a job. "People use SMS socially, they don't use it as a resource. There's a lot of skepticism at the start," he said. "We have to tell people that we don't get you the job, we get you the information about the job." He said it was initially hard to get employers to understand that Souktel's system was a good way to find employees, but that this is no longer a problem. "Now employers come to us, so we don't have to go out and find them," he said.
Souktel's popularity has grown largely through word of mouth. "All of our marketing is grassroots and viral," Korenblum said. "That may change, but so far that's the way that Palestinian society works." Some of Souktel's larger clients also market the service. According to Korenblum, Souktel is largely self-sustaining. Aid agencies and employers pay a user fee that helps to cover basic costs. He said that both have found the fee to be more than worthwhile. "Even by paying us a user fee aid agencies are cutting down on six phone calls," he said. "They are increasing scope and decreasing the amount of time they spend on outreach." Although signing up is free, job seekers also pay the service eight cents for each message that they receive. Souktel works on all mobile phone networks in the area.
Earlier this year, Souktel launched services in the Iraq and Somaliland. In the future, Korenblum hopes that Souktel continues to grow, and could be used to connect people not only with jobs, but with educational programs or health and social services. "SMS is pervasive,” he said. “It is also by far the most cost-effective way for people to get the information they need." He also hopes to continue to share Souktel’s platform. “We've been struggling with it for three years now, and we've arrived at something that works,” he said. “We want to save someone else time in trying to develop it, so they have something that is useful for them.”
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