Erica Hagen InterAction Forum

April 30, 2013

GroundTruth Initiative

Helping communities use digital media, mapping, and open data tools

for greater influence and representationin development and democracy.

Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya…~ 250,000 people, 2.5 km2

…was a blank spot on the map

We start Map Kibera pilot project to help Kibera people get “on the map”.

Kibera Map Today

The Densest Map Ever?

OpenStreetMapGlobal Collaborative Mapping

“like Wikipedia for Maps”

Mathare Slum

Mathare Slum

Voice of Kibera

www.voiceofkibera.org

Data +

Storytelling

Voice of Kibera

Voice of Kibera: election reporting

Voice of Kibera: election reporting

Dar es Salaam, Tandale community, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam - Tandale

Dar es Salaam, Tandale community, Tanzania

Need photo here of the guys out on a shoot…

Kibera News Network.org

Thematic Mapping:

HealthEducation

Water/SanitationSafety

2322759509

Elections Mapping, Kenya

Kerala, India: Sustainable Tourism

Kerala, India: The Blue Yonder and historical preservation

Technology is the easy part.

Key Lessons and Challenges

Community data collection risks being an extractive process.

Participation and empowerment are still only buzzwords most of the time.

Key Lessons and Challenges

Donors favor silos, and duplication.

Volunteerism conflicts with local economics

Key Lessons and Challenges

Mapping and technology are integral programming themselves. They support people to raise their voices, not only as means to an end.

Trick: can you also get your M&E data?

Key Lessons and Challenges

Transferring skills to community members has the greatest impact; it also takes the longest. But it CAN be achieved with limited resources with the right commitment.

Key Lessons and Challenges

Why people participate

1) Already engaged in community affairs and advocacy; hoping to draw attention to solve problems

2) Interested in learning new (marketable) skills and interest in technology

3) Concern with stigmatization of

community - local pride

Why people participate

- Strategic and planning advice for your project

- Training in OpenStreetMap, Ushahidi, techniques for citizen engagement and feedback

- Build websites, targeted online platforms

- Partnership

We can help you:

Thanks!erica@groundtruth.in@ricajihttp://groundtruth.in