In 2008, Ushahidi, a technology platform, was developed to map the election violence in Kenya. Since then, it has continued to serve as a hub where user-generated content about events are reported from communities around the world. The open source platform has also been adapted to fit different situations where people struggle to gather information — from political protests to natural disasters.
“One of the things that Ushahidi has always done is try to create products that solve problems that we experience locally,” said Charles Harding, product director at Ushahidi. Their ability to tell stories has helped spread the word and grow the business and has become a key part of the communications strategy.
“We built a platform for people who may struggle to gather collectively during a tough situation to tell their stories. For us, it is important to tell our stories,” Harding said.