Ushahidi is a mapping tool that uses crowdsourcing to collect and visualize information for social activism, public accountability and crisis management. Ushahidi (Swahili for “testimony” or “witness”) was started in Kenya in the aftermath of the disputed 2007 presidential election to collect eyewitness reports of violence sent in by email and text-message and placing them on a Google map.

The platform has grown in use and has been deployed for various instances across the globe to help in visualising crowd sourced information such as: Haiti Earthquake, Libya Crisis, the Middle East, the Japan Recovery Map, Russian wildfires, Washington D.C winter storms and among others.

Pamoja Media is the only rapid deployment partner for Ushahidi in East Africa. We have undertaken intensive projects that involved the integration of the platform. A good example is the WildlifeDirect wildlife tracking tool instance we deployed for the Africa Conservation Fund.