Somaliland

Souktel

Posted by AnneryanHeatwole on Sep 02, 2009
Souktel data sheet 3520 Views
Organization that developed the Tool: 
Main Contact: 
Jacob Korenblum
Problem or Need: 

In many developing countries, labor markets are in chaos--not because there’s a lack of job opportunities, but because there are no good information networks to help job-seekers and employers find each other: Web access is low, public/private resources are few, and infrastructure is poor. As a result, many skilled workers get trapped in cycles of joblessness and hardship. However, a huge number of people in developing countries have basic cell phone access, even in rural areas. Recognizing this reality, Souktel has created a simple, phone-based JobMatch service--a software application that reduces unemployment and poverty by helping ordinary job-seekers get key job information on their phones.

Main Contact Email : 
Brief Description: 

Our solution is simple: from any phone, job-seekers create SMS "mini-CVs" that include basic data on their skills, location, etc. These are then sent by mobile to our central database--which hundreds of employers search daily, via web or phone. From their side, employers create similar “mini job ads” and post them on the same database—so that job-seekers can search these jobs from their own phones. The database also matches job-seekers/employers who have similar profiles, sending them SMS alerts with each other’s data.

Tool Category: 
App resides and runs on a server
Key Features : 
  • SMS-based querying of information databases
  • SMS-based user profile creation
  • SMS-based matching of similar user profiles


 

Main Services: 
Bulk SMS
Voting, Data Collection, Surveys, and Polling
Mobile Social Network/Peer-to-peer
Information Resources/Information Databases
Tool Maturity: 
Currently deployed
Platforms: 
Linux/UNIX
Windows Mobile
All phones -- SMS
Current Version: 
2
Program/Code Language: 
.NET Compact Framework
PHP
Other
Organizations Using the Tool: 

Employers - Middle East:

  • Ernst and Young
  • Red Cross/Red Crescent
  • CARE International
  • Deloitte
  • YMCA of East Jerusalem
  • Education Development Center, Inc.

Institutional/Funding Partners - Middle East

  • US Agency for International Development
  • World Bank - Quality Improvement Fund for Higher Education
  • King Abdullah Fund for Development
  • Birzeit University (Palestine)
  • Najah University (Palestine)
  • Arab-American University of Jenin (Palestine)
  • Al-Quds Abu Dis University (Palestine)
Number of Current End Users: 
1,000-10,000
Number of current beneficiaries: 
10,000-100,000
Languages supported: 
Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, Somali, Spanish
Handsets/devices supported: 
Any handset.
Is the Tool's Code Available?: 
No
Is an API available to interface with your tool?: 
Yes
Countries: