It’s almost three months since we had the Local Guide’s Summit 2017 in San Francisco. I can’t believe how fast the time is moving. I have been yearning to host a meet-up of some sort for some time now, just to share my experiences during the summit and also to sensitize new would-be local guides about the program, its benefits, and importance especially to a country such as Kenya which is undergoing robust infrastructural developments.
During the #GoogleAfrica10 celebrations in early December, I got to meet the Googler who first introduced me to Google mapmaker back in 2010, while I was a student at the University of Nairobi. My conversation with him inspired the idea of embarking on a sensitization drive about the program at my alma mater, the University of Nairobi.
On 19th December 2017, I got a chance to make a presentation about the local guide program in the School of Engineering at the University of Nairobi. It was an audience comprising of students (undergraduate and graduate) and a lecturer. I was able to talk about the local guide program, share my experiences from the #lgsummit17 and also gave the students a chance to experience VR for the first time through the limited edition #LGsummit17 Google cardboard.
From the engagements I had during the presentation, it was clear that more needs to be done in order to raise awareness about the program. I’m, therefore, making plans to host a geo-walk with the students in 2018 to map missing places around the campus and also conduct many more sensitization drives.
thanks, thanks, thanks for sharing this experience with us.
So happy to virtually see your here, after two and a half months, so happy to see what you are doing in Nairobi.
I am so proud to wear your bracelet, with the colors of the Kenya’s flag, so I can now say to the world “hey guys, I know this woman, I met her in San Francisco”.
This kind of experiences are important, in a country that is doing a big infrastructural developement, and the students are our future. You are our future, Innocensia, in driving the learning of new technologies.
This post is touching our heart, a lovely Christmas Carol.
You are showing us that this is possible, and I love it.
Que refrescante y agradable es leer su Post @InnocensiaO , personas como usted son las que tiene ese espíritu Local Guides, su país es muy distante para mí, pero se encuentra en uno de mis deseos poder visitarlo, lo veo muchas veces por NatGeo, pero no es lo mismo. Gracias por compartir su Post.
Thank you @FaridTDF for your nice words and glad you enjoyed the post.
I pray that one day we’ll get to meet. Kenya is indeed exquisite, from the pristine white beaches and wide array of wildlife. It’s definitely one of the best places to visit.
Wowww @InnocensiaO ! I love reading real life experiences like yours on how one’s life events can make such an impact on so many others’ lives too.
Seven years in the making, the chance to visit America and Google for the first time, receiving this wonderful limited edition LGSummit17 Cardboard as a gift, and then taking the time to fulfilling a promise and visiting your old university campus with this simple, small cardboard box and sharing your experiences about Local Guides, the Summit, and VR to your alma mater is priceless!
I know all the hard work and the long hours spent the Local Guides Team put into creating this year’s Summit 17 for those of us who were lucky to attend will scream for joy after reading your wonderful post here on Connect! @TraciC , @YanniY@GusMoreira@MegS , isn’t Innocensia’s post a beautiful Christmas gift?!
I did see your photos over on Facebook, but your post here on Connect and watching your YouTube video is soooo much better here for so many Local Guides here in community to see and be truly inspired by your generosity to share your experiences.
Watching each of the students use the Cardboard to experience VR is amazing. Their facial expression are priceless. Do tell what they thought about it and how many did you get to sign up to become Local Guides.
Thanks again Innocensia for taking the time to writing this inspirational post here on Connect!
I am so glad that @ErmesT@SergeySud and I got to bump into you, @RobAo and that very dark Tuesday night in North Beach and spent time walking around and enjoy coffee and learning more about each other.
I completely agree with @FaridTDF . Up until we ran into you guys that faithful night, I only knew @U-royFelixA as my first African friend. Because of Local Guides, I now know so many more and am getting a better understanding of your continent.
Thank you for sharing and teaching us. Big hugs and Happy Holidays. Hope to see you again in 2018 so we can finally try the tiramisu here at Caffe Greco.
Thanks, @KarenVChin for taking the time to read the post.
The students were really taken by the whole VR thing because all they knew about it was from what they had read and seen on YouTube, so experiencing it for the first time was so surreal for them.
There were about 20 or so people in the audience that day, I trust that they all signed up by the end of the presentation but I’ll confirm that when we meet up the again for a walk in early 2018.
One of the highlights for me from the LG summit was meeting you and @ErmesT and @SergeySud . Thank you again for allowing us to tag along on that night walk which introduced me to a pastry that I have never had and I’m now actively looking for in Nairobi.
I pray that we’ll meet again in the future.
Hugs! Merry Christmas and happy and prosperous 2018.
Hey Lady! It was meant to be that we bumped into each other the faithful dark night. @RobAo , I learned that you only drink while I took you to an Italian espresso cafe. @AlMutebi was still in shocked, or maybe having an outer body experience, that he was San Francisco and absorbing every moment.
Here’s another fun photo if you guys remember this:
Next time, we have to actually get up and walk on the Bridge to take a GG Bridge selfie and spend more time eating more yummy Italian desserts. You had a biscotti, next are cannolis and tiramisu. Sound like a plan for 2018? = )
es leer su Post 
and learning more about each other.
and Happy Holidays. Hope to see you again in 2018 so we can finally try the tiramisu here at Caffe Greco.
