Map Kibera and Voice of Kibera background presenting July 21, 2010 at YETAM training, Kwale

1. Digital Mapping in Kenya, a case study of Map
Kibera
YETAM workshop, July 21, 2010
GroundTruth Initiative
OpenStreetMap
photo: http://gallery.me.com/dbullington#100816&view=null&bgcolor=black&sel=12

2. Overview
• Geography terminology
• History/background of Map
Kibera
• Voice of Kibera platform
• Questions, comments and
discussion

3. What is geography?
• The study of patterns and
process that take place on the
earth‟s surface
• Everybody experiences their own
geography each and every day!
…citizen geography!
(also known as neogeography)

4. History of new geography tools
(new media) in 60 seconds…

5. GIS, GPS, Mapping…
• Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) (information management for
geography)– ArcGIS $$$
• Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Digitize and Geo-reference
• The expansion of:
– The internet
– Cheap GPS devices
– Software that is less technically
demanding (on the user and data
processing)

6. Internet mapping
• Google (or Yahoo! or Microsoft)
proprietary software
• Open Street Map (free software)

7. Internet mapping cont.
• Open Street Map

8. Free and Open Source
• Data and/or Software itself is
free
• Anyone can use it and customize
it
• What else do you need to think
about?
– Human resources, skills, time,
training, etc
– Technical customizations (vs out-
of-the-box)

9. Kibera 500,000 people(?), 2.5 km2
was a blank spot on the map

10. Existing Data
satellite imagery

11. Partners and Allies
NGOs/CBOs: Social Development Network (Infonet), Carolina for Kibera, Kibera
Community Development Agenda (KCODA)
Broadcast and Community Media: Pamoja FM, Kibera Journal, Kibera
WorldWide
Tech Community: Ushahidi, OpenStreetMap
Funding partner: Jumpstart, International – American NGO

12. *Recruited Mappers
Recruited Mappers

13. *The Mappers
The Mappers

14. Map Kibera
• Uses Open Street Map (free and
open source)
• GPS devices (more on this
later…)
• Phase I and Phase II
• Walking Paper
• Digitizing and georeferencing

15. Mappers took to GPS Surveying naturally

20. * open data ... all Open Data
Potential of about potential
Can be a little abstract in Kibera

21. How does Map Kibera benefit or
impact the people in Kibera?
• Develop Entities and Skills
• Kibera Mappers
• Kibera News Network
• Citizen journalism
• Voice of Kibera
• SMS Reporting

22. Phase II
• Health
• Education (informal)
• Security (focus on girl‟s
security
• Water and Sanitation

27. Voice of Kibera
• Uses the Ushahidi
platform to
aggregate data and
maps the info on
the Map Kibera map
• Ushahidi does not
run the website;
VoK
Advisory/Editorial
Board runs the
site
• http://ushahidi.co
m

28. Out-of-the-box

29. Customized

30. Customized - Voice of
Kibera

31. What is Voice of Kibera?
• Non-profit and independent community information
sharing platform by, for and about Kibera
• It uses a. articles, photos, videos and SMS b. a
unique information mapping tool and c. moderation
of content to ensure accurate reporting
• A unifying and catalytic agent to contribute to
positive change in Kibera and Kenya
• A citizen journalist website sharing the real
story of what Kibera is
• Aims to fill current information gaps in terms of
emergency and accurate information adding location
data when relevant

32. Reports

33. One website, lots of
media!
• Media on the site
• Video: creating videos and posting
on the site
• Examples: Kibera News Network & Kibera TV
• Photos: featuring work by local
photographers
• Reports: sending SMS to 3002 or
submitting online
• Twitter: see „tweets‟ about Kibera
• Local Media
• Report may be featured in other
media
• Creating awareness through radio and
print

34. Sending in Reports
There are two ways you can
submit reports:
1. Sending an SMS to 3002
• Make sure SMS includes the word
“Kibera” and as much detail as
possible, including location.
2. Clicking SUBMIT A REPORT
on the website.

35. SMS Reporting
• Send message to short code, 3002,
including “Kibera” in the text [cost:
5 KSH]
• SMS Reporters
• Possibilities of things to submit:
• Things happening right now in the
community whether good or bad (e.g. a
fire, street festival)
• Info about local organisations (e.g.
events)
• Opinions on local businesses or services
(e.g. experience at a clinic)
• Other news and events

36. SMS Demo
• Submitting a report
using SMS
• Include “Kibera” and as
much detail as possible,
including location in
message
• Send the message to 3002
• Check the site to see
your report!

37. Kibera News Network (KNN)
www.youtube.com/KiberaNewsNetwork
(in partnership with KCODA)

38. Future plans…

39. Expansion – to other locations in Kenya

40. Challenges
• Engaging with youth – resources
(paid vs volunteer)?
• The map is not enough
– The digital divide is both
infrastructral and social
– Otherwise, you're simply
contributing to status quo of
inequality

41. • large agencies (UN, govt) are
very interested
• how to support them without
simply allowing them to co-opt
the work the citizens are doing

42. • without extra effort, open
source and open data really
just means, open to the elites
which is not actually open at
all.

43. Regynnah’s story

44. Other tools
• Budget tracking tool

45. Constituency Development Funds (CDF)
Budget Tracking Tool (SODNET) http://www.opengovernance.info
SMS 3002 with constiuency#issue (eg: matuga#education)

46. Other tools cont.
• Huduma

47. Recap
• Open Street Map (open source
data)
• Ushahidi (open source software,
but remember other inputs needed)
• FrontlineSMS
• Budget tracking tool (3002 plus
constituency #issue 3002: kwale
#water)
• Huduma
• Flip cameras (YouTube)