A group of techies working in Florida are quietly forming an online social platform that could revolutionize Jacmel's connection to the outer world.
For now, they're calling the platform PharosNET. They also refer to it as "a 21st-century Yellow Pages kind of thing."
Under the umbrella of a startup called Human Action, the group is in the early phase of doing a micro-assessment of Jacmel. Their plan is to survey everyone, from leaders and business people to average individuals, and feed it into a city-wide online catalogue of social needs, skills and job opportunities. It will ultimately be available in English, French and Creole, and will be text message-accessible.
The aim is to open the database to foreign organizations and individuals seeking to make direct relationships with compatible matches for the provision of aid, mentoring and business support.
For example, if a Haitian independent contractor registers with the database, he will receive a custom-tailored report of employment opportunities for contracting work, including detailed job descriptions that list contact information for organizations and employers. The director of an orphanage who registers would receive a report listing relief organizations equipped to respond to his specific needs.
Participants' profiles will be updated regularly (ideally by participants) to reflect changes in resources and needs; users will be able to receive text-message updates on new sources for supplies and employment opportunities.
PharosNET, which could be a dream database for Jacmel if Human Action can pull it off, is currently in the development and testing phase. But founders Chip Norman and Bradley Bulifant are accepting registrants - e-mail them for more information.