Congratulations to Ushahidi as this excellent African project has won first prize at the Net Squared Challenge competition. This is one huge prize and just shows what can be done with little resources - where there is a will there is a way. They project now has $25,000 so there is no telling where this project will end.

Read more about the project and the prize at White African………..

Tags:
Ushahidi
Web 2.0 + Africa
Kenya

The Ushahidi engine is being used to map xenophobic attacks in South Africa at the “United For Africa” website

Tags:

Xenophobia + South Africa
Ushahidi

Kubatana.net is the second Zimbabwean human rights group to use Web 2.0 technology to monitor and report on the elections and the third in Africa following the Ushahidi project on the Kenyan elections started in January.

Sokwanele [Enough is Enough] created a google map for mapping election breaches using data they collected from their Zimbabwean Election Watch series.

Elections are a process, not an event, and the same applies to rigging: the scene has been set for unfree and unfair elections on March 29th, and the conditions on the ground have been developed through many months of non-compliance with regional electoral standards.

The events and incidents mapped on the Zimbabwe Election Watch map represent a small sample of the breaches identified under the project since we started monitoring the government’s non-cooperation with regional standards in July 2007. All the information logged under Zimbabwe Election Watch is derived from media sources.

Kubatana.net works with Zimbabwean civil society organisations to strengthen the use of email and internet strategies and provides an online resource on human rights and civic information. Using Frontline SMS, Kubatana set up an sms election service for subscribers to receive up to date election information and results. They have also been running a campaign “What would you like a free Zimbabwe to look like?” Ken Banks, creator of Frontline SMS explains how it works…

Zimbabweans have been incredibly responsive, with many people saying that the question gave them hope in uncertain times. According to Kubatana:

“It’s also been a real learning experience for us, reminding us that ordinary Zimbabweans have a wealth of good ideas to contribute, and our political and civic leadership must work on building a more participatory environment”

A combination of SMS and email were used in the initiative, with text messages such as “Kubatana! No senate results as at 5.20 pm. What changes do YOU want in a free Zim? Lets inspire each other. Want to know what others say? SMS us your email addr” sent out to their mobile subscriber lists. FrontlineSMS was used to blast the messages out, and then used collect responses which were then distributed via an electronic newsletter and on the Kubatana Community Blog

Ushahidi, Sokwanele, Kubatana and the NNEM (Nigerian election reporting project) have all shown the power of Web 2.0 and mobile phone in the hands of civil society in Africa.

Tags:
Zimbabwe
Elections

NABUUR is an online volunteering site that connects people in the Global South with volunteers who support small scale projects in towns and villages. I was browsing through the site when I clicked on Kenya and discovered messages sent by members either through email or by SMS to their supporting volunteers. It is good to know that people on the ground are getting their stories out to each other and the wider world. Here are some of the messages:

From Kajulu, a Village near the Ugandan border

04 jan: “Hi Pelle! It’s terrible here! No phone cards. Pple dying esp. children of disease. Hunger biting. More police shooting. Trying to raise some support to assist people.”

01 jan: “Security situation is getting worse! over 300 ppl killed - one being my cousin. Gun shots everywhere. The impact is real - no basic needs available.”

30 dec: “Kibaki declared Presidential winner though opposition won. He’s just been sworn in 15 minutes after. There’s bloodshed in Kenya. Police kills over 50 ppl.”

29 dec: “Hi Pelle! I’ve been out involved in the general elections in Kenya hence not visited the cyber cafe for a week. There are bloody chaos over rigging. The violence is building up across Kenya now. So there’s no leaving any village. If things settle, then on Monday I’ll be at the cyber cafe. Keepinhttp://www.blacklooks.org/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=1786
Black Looks › Edit — WordPressg you posted.”

From Githurai

We were very very happy to receive your letter and advice. Hope you’re fine likewise to us despite the violence that rocked our country due to the disputed general elections result by the opposition leader Raila Odinga who was rigged out by president Mwai Kibaki. The violence has now gone for about 6 days leaving over 500 people dead and thousands injured cut by pangas and others. Us we are ok only waiting to hear from you.”

From Kabondo, Kenya

Dear all, the latest update fr Eric, which we received through sms

The situation is chaotic in our village, but with the continuing internaitonal pressure, we hope all will be fine. Thanks for your concern

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have heard from Eric via email, and he is safe. There has been much turmoil in the area being the home province of the opposition leader, and unfortunately, there has been violence. He did inform me that they managed to have a party but only 97 children were able to attend due to the curfew that has been imposed. He will keep us updated as he can.

From Mwihila

Back in one piece

I am happy amid the limited challenges around here to rejoin with my beloved nabuur friends. I arrived in Nairobi yesterday from Mwihila village, though I was suppossed to have come back a week ago.

My family and I got a strange ride on our way back: fast paced drive in a convoy of many vehicles, under police guard from Kisumu city to Nairobi. The road itself is usually very bad, but to remain within the convoy sandwitched between police squads, there was no choice.

The terrain between Kisumu and Nairobi looks strange, roads litterred with remains of burnt tyres, burnt homes/farms and in some cases burnt car shells. Calm has returned to the capital city, and one cannot imagine any problem while in the city.

We were even lucky to get a vehicle from Western Kenya, where everyone who proceeded home for christmas or came to Nairobi for the same remained holed up there.

Meanwhile, I must report that everything was normal in our village. Villagers kept following BBC news on updates to our Kenyan crisis and local media is acting “patriotic”.

Tags:

Kenya + Elections

The Ushahidi team have now added some additional functionality to the site - Spread the word

* You can now SMS your report to +447624802635 with your mobile phone.
* You can email your reports and images to tips@ushahidi.com
* We have added a “Peace Efforts” button to highlight the good things that are happening.
* The “How you can help” page has started. The first is a way to send money via MamaMikes.com that will be distributed by the Kenyan Red Cross.
* There are new buttons (with copy/paste code) for you to add to your websites on the about page.

More information and developments see White African

Tags:

Kenya
Ushahidi