In response to the economic devastation in the Bahamas caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Synergy International Systems, Inc. is developing an online system that will enable Bahamians who lose their jobs because of the disaster to apply remotely for emergency unemployment benefits and food vouchers — something that before could only be done in person. The country faces a massive unemployment crisis as its tourist industry has been severely weakened by the pandemic.
This emergency response is part of a broader partnership between Synergy and the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development of the Bahamas to strengthen the management of the country’s social safety net system through information technology. Last month, the two sides signed a contract to revamp and expand the IT system for administering social safety net programs, including ones set up in response to the 2019 Hurricane Dorian.
Synergy has a long track record of helping countries and the international community respond to humanitarian crises. In the aftermath of major natural disasters such as the 2005 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, and the 2013 Philippines Typhoon Yolanda, Synergy enabled disaster-affected governments and their partners to track the flow of aid money and monitor the progress of recovery efforts.
