Given the nature is essentially bookkeeping (of the credits), one might consider to look into some ERP software.
I am not knowledgable enough to recommend any specifics. But here are a list: http://java-source.net/open-source/erp-crm One weakness (I suspect) for the typical ERP software is that they probably don't have interfaces with cell phones to transfer the credits built-in. - sam "Joy comes not to him who seeks it for himself, but to him who seeks it for other people." On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 6:13 AM, Ed Cable <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello Adam, > I'm glad to see you following the list and helping out fellow community > members. > I've also suggested to Paul and gotten him in contact with the folks at > Project Cyclos - an open-source transaction processing and management system > for complementary currency systems - http://project.cyclos.org/ > Let's catch up some time to discuss how things are in Ethiopia. > All the best, > Ed Cable > > On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:49 PM, Adam Abate <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Paul, >> Have you considered mobile payment systems such as M-Pesa - that gives you >> your electronic credits in a sense. If so, and it doesn't work for you, why >> not? >> Adam >> >> On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 7:00 PM, Adam Monsen >> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> >>> ( Please follow up to mifos-functional list only, and Cc >>> [email protected] ) <<< >>> >>> Paul (one of the co-founders of OpenMRS) is looking for help! Initially, >>> he needs help answering some questions, but see below for what sounds >>> like an interesting opportunity in Kenya. >>> >>> Can anyone answer his questions? >>> >>> If you can, would you please stop by our IRC channel? He's currently >>> hanging out in there. Here's some of our recent chatter on IRC: >>> >>> >>> <docpaul> so, one of my jobs is to direct a program called AMPATH.... >>> Academic Model for Providing Access to Healthcare >>> <docpaul> it's really where OpenMRS was born >>> <docpaul> it manages upwards of 2 million people's healthcare >>> <docpaul> they provide very comprehensive services, including nutrition >>> support and vocational training >>> <docpaul> a "catcher's mitt" of sorts for the poor.. :) >>> <docpaul> one of the initiatives that we've been talking about relates >>> to how we provide nutrition support >>> <docpaul> today, AMPATH maintains over a dozen farms and has a fairly >>> massive food distribution program >>> <docpaul> so that HIV positive patients have food to eat... as drugs >>> alone don't make people well. :) >>> <docpaul> but we've been thinking about moving to a model where instead >>> of AMPATH providing food to the community, we'd create an "economy" of >>> sorts around letting community farmers provide this >>> <docpaul> so, the model we've considered is to give patients electronic >>> "credits" which could be redeemed in the community... >>> <docpaul> food producers could accept these credits >>> <docpaul> and then convert them to cash that was held by AMPATH >>> <docpaul> does this make sense? >>> <meonkeys> I follow so far >>> <docpaul> so, given what I've described, it seemed that there were many >>> parallels to what is happening in the microfinancing world >>> <docpaul> with the primary exception that AMPATH is the "bank" so to >>> speak >>> <docpaul> we centrally hold the "credits" >>> <docpaul> but an infrastructure needs to be put into place to allow >>> individuals to monitor and distribute credits >>> <docpaul> and allow food producers to "bring" these credits back to >>> AMPATH to convert to $ >>> <docpaul> if you were in my shoes, and you were naive to this world, and >>> wanted to take a crash course on the state of the art open soruce >>> technology in support of >>> <docpaul> i could go on more to give thoughts about where we could go >>> with such a credit "economy", but suffice it to say, I think there are >>> many other use cases that go beyond the simple food distribution problem >>> <docpaul> i see it as a way of ultimately incentivizing good health >>> behaviors >>> <meonkeys> sure, makes sense >>> <docpaul> but i know you all are friends to our ethos, and i know you've >>> developed software that integrates with microfinance banks >>> <docpaul> but unclear whether our use case fits the kind of model you've >>> designed towards >>> <docpaul> i'm not certain that we need to integrate with a traditional >>> "bank" at this point >>> <meonkeys> are you looking for feedback on the credits model, or >>> wondering if Mifos can be used to manage the credits? >>> <meonkeys> or something else? >>> <docpaul> both... and i'm also looking for people that can help me >>> understand what open source technology is out there in this space >>> <docpaul> and what's passed quality muster >>> <docpaul> can mifos be used in this way? >>> <docpaul> hah, sorry if I've hit you with too much at once >>> <meonkeys> :) >>> <docpaul> it's how my brain works >>> <docpaul> what do you do for mifos? >>> <meonkeys> I'm a software engineer, and I do much of the technical side >>> of community collaboration >>> <meonkeys> I work for the Grameen Foundation. >>> <docpaul> excellent >>> <meonkeys> So, these are great questions. :) >>> <docpaul> and it's unlikely that any of them have simple answers... haha >>> <docpaul> that's why i came to ask the favor. : >>> <docpaul> have you ever heard of a model where a system maintains and >>> replenishes the finance centrally, and then tries to maintain an >>> independent "credit" economy around goods and services within a >>> community? >>> <docpaul> aid is what replenishes the finances... it's not a loan in >>> this case >>> <meonkeys> I don't think so... >>> <meonkeys> sorry, I think these questions are a bit over my head. >>> <docpaul> i just want to make sure we're leveraging the good work that >>> groups like you have already done >>> <docpaul> instead of starting from scratch once again >>> <docpaul> fwiw, we have funding to do this work >>> <docpaul> from the world food program >>> <docpaul> so if there are geeks in kenya that want to work in one of the >>> coolest environments i've ever been in >>> <docpaul> send them to me. :) >>> <docpaul> especially if they know java. :D >>> <docpaul> just trying to fact find, and i havent found a "pattern" that >>> what we're doing closely aligns with >>> <docpaul> closest is microfinance, which led me to you >>> <docpaul> any designers at grameen that'd be sympathetic to someone who >>> co-founded openmrs and wanted a favor? :) >>> <docpaul> perhaps this in some way could help integrate openmrs and >>> mifos more closely together as software products >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> Return on Information: >>> Google Enterprise Search pays you back >>> Get the facts. >>> http://p.sf.net/sfu/google-dev2dev >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mifos-functional mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mifos-functional >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Adam Abate >> Managing Partner >> Apposit LLC >> mob: +251 (0)91 342 8686 >> email: [email protected] >> www.apposit.com >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community >> Take advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support >> A streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and >> easy >> Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers >> http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev >> _______________________________________________ >> Mifos-functional mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mifos-functional >> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community > Take advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support > A streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and easy > Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers > http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev > _______________________________________________ > Mifos-functional mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mifos-functional > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community Take advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support A streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and easy Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev _______________________________________________ Mifos-functional mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mifos-functional
