Each year, the developed world pours billions of dollars in aid to developing countries — in 2006, private aid in the United States alone added up to about 34.8 billion dollars. And, while this money has certainly made some sort of difference, it hasn’t solved the chronic problems of developed countries: High rates of crime and corruption, disease and a lack of access to basic resources still plague poor countries. No matter how much aid is given in one year, it seems more will be needed in the next. Why?

According to Leila Janah, the problem goes back to work — or, rather, a lack of it.  She believes that well-meaning outsiders have created a culture of handouts in developing countries. This isn’t because people don’t want careers. In fact, many developing countries have a surplus of workers, high unemployment and little prospect of landing a decent job. In countries where recent university graduates face an unemployment rate exceeding 70%, joining a gang may pay more than any sort of available legal work.

This situation creates groups of educated, working-age adults without hope of worthwhile employment. While they may be able to eke out a living in the informal work sector, they probably won’t be able to snag a job that can help lift them from poverty.

Leila created Samasource to change this situation. Think of Samasource as non-profit outsourcing: By leveraging technology to distribute digital work to employees in developing countries, this organization provides much-needed, dignified work to marginalized people. Companies like Google or LinkedIn send computer-related work like data entry, appointment booking or tax forms to workers in countries like Uganda, Bangladesh or Haiti. The pay varies, and it’s not a fortune: Workers performing data entry tasks may make five dollars per hour or less, which is still more than two dollars below the minimum wage in the Untied States. Yet in a country where people may subsist on less than three dollars a day, this pay may be enough to change someone’s life.

You can check out the video below to watch Leila describe Samasource in more detail, but don’t forget to tell me what you think. After all, outsourcing is enormously controversial in the United States, and some people will surely object to Samasource’s business model simply because it is based on outsourcing work.

So, what’s your take? Is Samasource a good idea? Do you think it could change the world?

If you’d like to support Samasource, take a look at their iPhone app: Give Work allows you to help train the residents of Dadaab, Kenya (the world’s largest refugee site) by completing short tasks over your phone.