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Leila Chirayath Janah, my new hero - ACT1
As I moved around the web from one corner to another searching for a giant in “Social innovation and Enterprise,” to definitely make my new hero, I came across Leila Chirayath Janah, the founder and CEO of Samasource (http://www.samasource.org).
Samasource enables marginalized people from refugees in Kenya to women in rural Pakistan to receive life-changing work opportunities on the Internet. The core of this concept is microwork – little bits of labor that can be performed anytime and anywhere that add up to a real livelihood. In parallel, Samasource enables socially responsible companies, small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs in the US to contribute to economic development by buying services from their workforce at fair prices.
I picked on Leila and Samasource because of their unique and outstanding approach to Social Innovation and Enterprise. Instead of giving charity and loans, they give out jobs to the marginalized. I believe that this strategy helps develop the skills of the marginalized (meaning they could go on after a number of years earning a living on their own) as well as not creating laziness as marginalized people usually believe that someone out there will do charity to them. Leila believes that what marginalized people need most is not charity but a decent way to earn a living - and I totally agree with her on this!
I’ve embedded this video of an interview with Leila as she explains what Samasource does and where the wh*** idea came from.
I am hoping that we become friends with Leila soon - I don't feel like I can keep in the shadow comfortably. I am following her up on a number of sites on the Internet like:
Samasource enables marginalized people from refugees in Kenya to women in rural Pakistan to receive life-changing work opportunities on the Internet. The core of this concept is microwork – little bits of labor that can be performed anytime and anywhere that add up to a real livelihood. In parallel, Samasource enables socially responsible companies, small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs in the US to contribute to economic development by buying services from their workforce at fair prices.
I picked on Leila and Samasource because of their unique and outstanding approach to Social Innovation and Enterprise. Instead of giving charity and loans, they give out jobs to the marginalized. I believe that this strategy helps develop the skills of the marginalized (meaning they could go on after a number of years earning a living on their own) as well as not creating laziness as marginalized people usually believe that someone out there will do charity to them. Leila believes that what marginalized people need most is not charity but a decent way to earn a living - and I totally agree with her on this!
I’ve embedded this video of an interview with Leila as she explains what Samasource does and where the wh*** idea came from.
I am hoping that we become friends with Leila soon - I don't feel like I can keep in the shadow comfortably. I am following her up on a number of sites on the Internet like:
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/leila_c
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/leilajanah
- Leilac.com - http://www.leilac.wordpress.com
- Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/leilajanah
- Slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/leila_c
Views: 2
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Comment by Yemisi Ajumobi on February 16, 2010 at 11:34am -
Thanks for sharing this Ronald. You know I was just thinking to myself while browsing through the Global Poverty Project website that the best way to put an end to global poverty for the long-term is in job creation and skills development. This would help sustain the efforts and works of developmental organizations and entrepreneurs. I mean giving charity and other kinds of aid is wonderful but the problem with this is that the aid would run out of some point and what the world needs is more permanent solutions to attaining the Millennium Development goals. I'm glad Leila Chirayath is helping to provide these long-term solutions.
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Comment by Ronald Kasendwa on February 16, 2010 at 7:27pm -
Yemisi, thanks for the supplement. I really appreciate!
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Comment by Evo on February 20, 2010 at 8:07am -
I met Leila from Samasource two weeks ago and she also came to speak with us in Second Life soon after. A PHENOMENAL WOMAN inside and out, she takes over the stage in a quiet way where her brilliance really shines through. Honored to work with her through TechSoupGlobal.
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Comment by Nick Heyming on March 6, 2010 at 4:19am -
Creating a dependence on aid helps noone. This lady has the right idea, thanks for sharing about her!
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Comment by Ronald Kasendwa on March 9, 2010 at 11:04am
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Thanks Evo and Nick for your comments on my post!
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Comment by Deborah Cazden on March 10, 2010 at 10:53am -
What a beautiful woman and amazing hero. She is doing wonderful things. Thank you for sharing her with me. I enjoyed hearing her on the video.
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Comment by Shakwei Mbindyo on March 16, 2010 at 4:17pm -
Great info. Also check out www.ushahidi.com. Totally amazing stuff. +1 Knowlege Share
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Comment by Sarah Shaw Tatoun on April 1, 2010 at 6:26pm -
This is really timely for me-- I've been thinking about outsourcing a few tasks. This may be exactly what I didn't know I was looking for.
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Comment by Gilda Lorena Arias on April 13, 2010 at 4:23pm -
Great Work!!!
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