Kibera, Kenya Gains “Voice” Through Crowdsourcing

Social Media is causing change throughout the entire world. This story takes us over to Africa, the country of Kenya in the small town of Kibera. Kibera is located on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.

Fast forward to May of this year and there was a massive flood that left most of this small town underwater. Residents again used their technology skills to help save lives. The same team of people were able to quickly create a map that showed which areas were underwater. Currently, this dynamic, user-updated map also helps service professionals and NGOs like the Red Cross respond to needs occasioned by the area’s constant fires.

The citizens of Kibera have moved on to their next project as they have built a website called the Voice of Kibera which residents report local news events and issues to this website via SMS messages. Running on the Ushahidi platform, the website also aggregates news from other local media. The website is impressive as it updates in real time and also incorporates the #Kibera hashtag as well as local video being taken and photos uploaded as well.

For an African city that didn’t exist to the outside world less than a year ago, the accomplishments of a small group of residents is astonishing. What will the power of crowdsourcing bring us next. It it particularly exciting to see breakthroughs being made in the country of Africa which is largely ignored when it comes to a “hot tech scene. BlackWeb 2.0 will be keeping a close eye on the tech developments in the former “non-existent” town known as Kibera.

About the Author
I am a developing social and digital media junkie on an adventure through life. Right now I am on the chapter in the book where I live in Los Angeles. Reach me on twitter @ahr19. Thanks for reading my post.
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